The Maqamat of Badi Al Zaman Al Hamadhani

THE MAQAMAT OF BAD!
' AL-ZAMAN AL-HAMADHANI
THE
MAQAMAT OF
BAD!'
AL-ZAMAN
AL-HAMADHANI
TRANSLATED FROM THE ARABIC
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
AND
NOTES
HISTORICAL AND GRAMMATICAL
BY
W.
J.
PRENDERGAST,
B.LITT. (OXON.)
J
DEGREE OF HONOUR ARABIC AND PERSIAN M.R.A.S. FELLOW OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS; DIRECTOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES, NIZAM COLLEGE, HYDERABAD, DECCAN
;
LONDON:
MADRAS
S. P.
LUZAC & Co. C. K. DEPOSITORY

1915
*
(Hariri)
PREFACE
THIS
Translation of the
Maqamat
of Badi'
al-Zaman al-Hama-
dhani from the original Arabic with an Introduction and Notes
was prepared
of Letters,
as
my
it
thesis for the Research
Degree of Bachelor
I
Oxford University, during the years 1913-14, and

it
now
publish
as
was then
written.
The
original being largely in
rhymed prose
to
which sense
be
is
sometimes subordinated to sound, there

in the rendering that will
will necessarily
much
appear insipid and uninteresting to the
English reader unacquainted with Arabic; but, as the
Maqamat
gave the
first
impulse to a species of composition which has for
centuries been regarded as an important branch of belles lettres,

it is
hoped that
this first translation of the
work
into English will
be favourably received by Arabic scholars and that students will

find
it
an aid to the understanding of this famous

I refer
:
classic.
In the Notes
to the following
by the names of
their
respective authors
Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary (London, 1841). Ibn

Khaldun's
Prolegomena
(Paris,
1878).
Translated
by M. G. de Slane.
Nicholson's Literary History of the Arabs (London, 1907).
For typographical reasons
*q' instead
of 'k' has been used
throughout to represent the Arabic
in transliteration.
viii
PREFACE
My
him.
respectful thanks are
due to His Highness the Nizam,
G.C.S.I., for graciously permitting
me
to dedicate the
book to
My
acknowledgements are also due to His Highness'
Government and the Madras School Book and Literary Society

for generous grants
towards the cost of publication.
also desire
Sell,
to acknowledge
for
my
indebtedness to the Rev. Canon E.
D.D.,
much
valuable advice and help in regard to the arrangement
of the Notes
and
to the Rev. J.
Passmore
press.
for kindly assisting
me
in seeing the
work through the
W.
September, 1915
J.
P.
ERRATA
Page
13, note 4,
14, line
for
Lyden
read Ley den.
15
4^1
hamutha
illusion
fc^l.
hanutha.
allusion.
26, note
2
5
30
,,
33 J*
4
2
3
47
reported
satire
retorted.
satirize.
Off.
48, line
,,
9
1Q Ly
1
,,
of
dUta "<^
ii
<>1 01
,,
52, note
82, line
illusion
allusion,
7
2
course
coarse.
90, note
%^^
chose
dates
131, line
14
2
choose.
figs.
137, note
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION
Xll
CONTENTS
PAGE
THE MAQAMAT
The Maqamat
of
Badi'
al-Zaman
al-Hamadhani
INTRODUCTION
L
LIFE OF THE
ibn
AUTHOR
ibn
THE
Hafiz
Ahmad
al-Husain
Yahya
ibn
Sa'id
ibn
Bashar Abu'1-Fadl al-Hamadhani, surnamed Badi' al-Zaman (the Wonder of the Age), was born at Hamadhan on the 13th of Jumadi
al-Akhir A.H. 358 (A.D. 967) and, therefore, like many other eminent Arabic writers, lived far from Arabia and may have even 1 He himself claimed to be descended been of Persian origin. from the tribes of Taghlib and Mudar. 2 Unlike Hariri, his great imitator, he had not the advantage
of being born and bred in the atmosphere and amid the inspiring associations of a great seat of learning, and he himself appears to
have shared the popular opinion as to the stupidity and churlishness of the people of
Hamadhan.
in the
He
lines
:
is
said to have satirized his native place
well-known
'9
&*.jjk
*^jI
Jju
it
jfll
J <bUuo
Hamadhan
it is
is my native town, the vilest of cities. In ugliness its children are like men are like its children.
must allow
old
that honour, but

in reason, its old
its
men, and,
8 See Letters of the author, p. 47, line 1. Ibid., pp. 8 and 9. Abu'l-'Ald Muhammad ibn Husul, a native of Hamadhan, is the reputed author of these lines.
3
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

On
page 419 of the Letters he quotes the verse of another
:
poet
Jal
e^sAAJo
^)
Jjui
j&s^j
c.
Thou
If
wilt not blame thou art assured I
me for the weakness of my am a man of Hamadhan.
intellect,
Ibn Paris, Hamadhani's instructor, ironically hints that the

ignorance of the people of Hamadhan was contagious. Why should I not ', says he, offer a sincere prayer for that city where l I had the good fortune of forgetting all I ever learned ? In
'
' *
spite of the uninspiring character of his
immediate surroundings,
'Aufi tells us he gave, at a very early age, evidence of those great
which eventually made him famous. That great patron of letters, the famous Buwayhid minister, tested his skill
gifts
in ex tempore transla-
tion at the age of twelve by giving the verse to render into metrical Arabic, a feat
young scholar Persian which he accomplished
on the
It
spot, the
Sahib himself, at the instance of the youthful
2 poet, suggesting the metre and the rhyme.
must, however, be borne in mind that he had the good fortune of sitting at the feet of learned men like Abu'l-Husain
ibn
Paris
(ob.
A.H. 390),
the
philologist
and author
of
the
3 Mujmil fi'l-Lughdt, or Collection of Philological Observations and 'Isa ibn Hisham the traditionalist. It is not improbable that
in the latter
we have
the original of the
name
of the
Rawi
or
narrator of the
Maqamat.
The
& ~
relater of tradition
might by an
easy transition become the narrator of the story or adventure.
Each maqama begins with

'
Utfj^ which, being literally rendered,

'.
signifies
he related news, or traditions to us
It
should also be
remembered that, notwithstanding internal dissensions, internecine strife and the frequent wars with the Greeks, he lived in an age of great intellectual activity. The literary renaissance, which 4 began in the reign of Saif al-Daula, was still making itself felt.
of Islamic poets,
Mutanabbi, considered by his countrymen to be the greatest had just completed his great work. Two years
before
Hamadhani was born Abu 'All al-Qali had finished in Cordova his excellent work on philology, the Book of Dictations,
l
Ibn Khallikan, Ibn Khallikan,
De De
Slane's Translation, Slane's Translation,
i,
101.
101.
2
4
i,
Lubdb al-Albdb, See Yatima, i, 9.
p. 17.
AL-ZAMAN AL-HAMADHANI
and Abu'l-Faraj al-Isfahani had completed one of the most rich important and useful works in the Arabic language, that of poetry, history, antiquities and legend, the Kitdb mine In A.H. al-Aghdni, on which he had spent fifty years of his life. 360, or two years after the birth of the author, the Brethren of Purity were endeavouring by means of their teachings, set forth in fifty treatises, to reconcile science and religion and to
harmonize the law of Islam with the philosophy of the Greeks. Among other prominent men of his day were Abu Firas, the
famous poet prince, regarding whom the Sahib used to say, Poetry began with a prince Imr al-Qais and ended with one There were also Abu'1-Ala al-Ma'ari, the poet, Abu'l-Firas.' the poet and Ibn philosopher and free-thinker al-Babbgha, To be called the Wonder of such an the fiery preacher. Nubata, age was indeed a proud distinction. And here one is led to enquire as to what were the system of education and the method
'
of study that could
produce such a prodigy. In Hamadhani's time, education, in addition to the study of the Qur'an and the commentaries thereon, consisted of the study
the Prophet, jurisprudence, legendary lore the pagan times of the Arabs, their days or battles, concerning ex tempore recitations, philosophy, philology, poetics, grammar,
of
Traditions of
the art of writing ornate prose, and travel. In his reflections on knowledge, the course to be pursued in the acquisition thereof and the essential qualifications of the
seeker after knowledge, the author gives us an insight into his
own methods
of study.
These comprised
self-denial,
dogged
reading, patient investigation and deep perseverance, He makes it clear that he meditation joined to extensive travel. knew of no royal road to learning and that he had learned to
'
much
3 In the Maqamat he scorn delights and live laborious days'. shows how thorough had been his education and how deeply he
was imbued with the culture
of his age.
In the year A.H. 380 at the age of twenty-two he left his little-loved native place and proceeded to the court of the Sahib.
There
is
no evidence as
to the precise duration of his stay there,
but, in the society of the litterati that

l
had gathered round the
8 3
Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 366. See De Slane's Introduction to Ibn Khallikan, pp. xxxi and Text, pp. 202-4 and Letters, pp. 165-8.
xxxii,
THE MAQAMAT OF
BAD!'
great Wazir and with, doubtless, free access to a library so vast that the Sahib is reported to have said that it would require 400
camels to transport
to literary
young aspirant and experience. A breach of good manners on his part in the presence of the Wazir is said to have brought his sojourn at Arrajan to an abrupt Thence he journeyed to Jurjan where, according termination.
it,
it
must have been
for the
fame
a period rich in opportunity
to Tha'alibi (A.H. 350-429)

Isma/ili heretics,
from
whom
he frequented the society of the he acquired a great deal of knowIn A.H.
ledge
and received much enlightenment. 2

his
382
(A.D.
992-3) at the age of twenty-four he reached Nishapur where he
composed the work upon which
fame
rests,
the
Maqamat.
among thieves way who robbed him and stripped him of everything he possessed. 3 If we accept the dates given by Tha'alibi in the Yatima* of
his
5 Nishapur (A.H. 382) and of al-Khwarazmi's death (A.H. 383), the Maqamat were the work of a very young man, completed within the short space of two years. If such was the case there must have been a great deal of scholarly
On
to this city
he appears to have
fallen
Hamadhani's
arrival at
preparation during the author's stay at the court of the Sahib and his sojourn among the Isma'ili heretics at Jurjan. The evidence in favour of this view is supplied by Hamadhani
himself.
In replying to al-Khwarazmi's criticism of his work
he taantingly remarks that, while he had dictated four hundred maqamat, his detractor was unable to compose a tenth part
of one.
6
however, reason to suppose that the work was begun before the author left his native city. For example, the scene of the maqama of Madirah is laid in Basra while the conis,
7 The cluding appeal is made to an audience in Hamadhan. inference is, therefore, that the Maqamat were begun in Hamadhan and completed in Nishapur, probably some time after the
There
death of al-Khwarazmi in A.H. 383.
While
in this city a great literary duel
Hamadhani and Abu nephew of Tabari, the well-known historian. Al-Khwarazmi was a poet of the first rank, a master of the art of official writing,
1
8
took place between Bakr al-Khwarazmi (A.H. 323-83), a
Ibn Khallikan,
Ibid,, p, 390,
De
Slane'a Translation,
4
i,
215.
168.
2 5
Yatima,
iv,
168.
Letters, pp. 104-5.
Yatima,
iv,
Letters, pp, 104-5.
Text, pp. 110-15.
his sententious sayings.
a renowned authority on philology and genealogy and noted for In addition to all this he was endowed
with a marvellous memory.

that having gone to see the Sahib ibn 'Abbad, who was then holding court at Arrajan, he requested a chamberlain to announce to him that a literary man desired
It
is
related of
him
Tell him I have permission to see him, and his master replied not to receive any literary man, unless he know by bound myself
*
:
heart twenty thousand verses composed by Arabs of the desert '. The chamberlain returned with the answer, and Abu Bakr said
:
Go back and ask him if he means twenty thousand composed This by men or twenty thousand composed by women ?
*
'
question was repeated and the Sahib exclaimed
'
:
Abu Bakr al-Khwarazmi let him come in intellectual giant, now about sixty years
:
'
!
That must be Such was the
of
age,
whom
the
youthful scholar of twenty-five essayed to challenge to literary
combat.
Hamadhani opened
he said
'
the discussion.
We
have cited thee
in order that
Addressing al-Khwarazmi thou mayest fill this
assembly
proverbs.
with benefits and quote unfamiliar verses and rare
We
will discuss with, thee
and
profit
by that which
thou hast, and do thou question us that thou mayest benefit by what we have. Now we will begin with the arts of which thou
art
master and which have made thee famous.

if
They
are
me-
mory,
est,
thou
wilt, poetry,
if
or
improvisation,
if
thou desirest, prose, if thou choosthou please, for these are the
subjects
of the boast with
Al-Khwarazmi
chose
which thou dost fill thy mouth.' 3 improvisation and the result was his
4 complete discomfiture.
was not Al-Khwarazmi was supported by his students while the leading men of Nishapur, who had a grudge 5 The verdict must have against him, sided with Hamadhani.
are afraid the decision in favour of the author
We
altogether free
from
bias.
been a foregone conclusion. Hamadhani does not appear, however, to have cherished any
1
Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation,
iii,
108.
Yatima,
iv,
114.
The author
uses the
word Majlis
u~*".
Letters, p. 41, line 5.
3
4
Ibid., pp, 41-2.
Letters, pp. 80
and 83 and Yakut's Dictionary of Learned Men,
i,
101.
Yatima,
iv,
137,
6
ill-will
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

In his reply to some one, against his vanquished rival. subsequently was uncharitable enough to write and felicitate
who
him upon al-Khwarazmi's illness, he administered a sharp rebuke to the writer and told him that in the time of trouble all resentment disappears, that he entertained the deepest affection for the 1 great scholar and sincerely prayed for his recovery. As no one had imagined there was a scholar who, under any circumstances, had the temerity to enter the lists with alKhwarazmi, Hamadhani's success in vanquishing the great man caused his fame to spread far and wide and secured him the patronage of the great and the powerful. In the course of his subsequent travels there was not a prince, governor or chief whose bounty he did not enjoy, and whose largess he did not
receive.
9
On
rival.
the death of al-Khwarazmi in A.H. 383

in A.H. 393)
Ibn al-Athir
Hamadhani
(according to found himself without a
long he remained at Nishapur is not known, but to Shaikh Abu 'All for a letter to the Amir he comwriting plains that his sojourn there had been long, that he was suffering
How
from insomnia and, if there should be any delay in sending the 3 After leaving letter, he would be obliged to leave without it. this city he visited every important town in Khurasan, Sijistan (Seistan) and the kingdom of Ghazna, probably reciting his
wherever he went. He finally where he greatly improved his position and circumstances by marrying the daughter of a rich man named Abu 'Ali Husain al-Khushnami. By this marriage he had an only daughter to whom he refers in the most affectionate terms.
maqamat
to admiring audiences
settled in
Herat
He
and
writes
I
'
:
am
as devoted to her as a father to an only son

for ten sons.'
5
would not exchange her
He appears to have carried on an extensive correspondence with a large number of distinguished personages, the chief among whom were Shaikh Abu 'Abbas, first minister of Sultan
:
Mahmud
1
of
Ghazna, Adnan ibn Muhammad, the governor of
Letters, p. 187.
Vatima, iv, 169. The only one deemed worthy was Khalaf ibn Ahmad, the Amir of Sijistan.
3
4
5
of praise in the
Maqamat
Letters, p. 189.
See Letters,
p.
337 for the motives which prompted him to
settle there.
Letters, p. 398.
Herat, Abu Ja'far al-Mikali, Muhammad ibn Zuheir, the governor of Balkh, the Wazir of Rayy and others. Proficiency in the epistolary art, such as Hamadhani could
boast
of,
was a sure passport
to preferment in the author's time,
but he does not appear to have held any official position and the 1 allusions to his being appointed governor of Basra and adminis9 trator of a province in Syria are, in all probability, a fiction. 3 He died at Herat on Friday, the llth Jumadi'l 'Ula A.H. 398
4 (February, 1008) at the comparatively early age of forty lunar years, or eight years younger than Hariri was when he began to
compose
his
Maqamat.
According to Abu Sa'id 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad, 'He fell into a lethargy and was buried with precipitation. He
recovered
when
shut up in the tomb, and his cries having been

' .
heard
in the night his

6
grasping his beard
It is also said
7
grave was opened and he was found dead he was poisoned.
Judged by
his Letters
he was a
man
to
whom
family ties
His advice to his sister's son manifests a strongly appealed. commendable concern for the boy's education. He writes
:
my thy business, the school thy place, the ink-flask thy ally, and a book thy friend, but, if thou come short, but methinks thou wilt not do so, then let
art
is
'Thou
son as long as learning
another be thy uncle.'

Tha'alibi,
his
acquaintance and biographer, sums up his He was remarkable for his ability and character as follows choice and correct Arabic, the elegance of his epistles and the
'
:
He was of pleasing appearance, cheerful, beauty of his poetry. sociable, modest, large-hearted, high-souled, a man of his word, sincere in his social relations, a true friend, but a bitter
enemy. His death, according to the same authority, was a great blow to learning, and he was universally lamented and regretted but ', adds Tha'alibi, he is not dead whose fame liveth '. 10 These words were written a short time after the death of Hamadhani and the succeeding nine centuries, during which his influence
;
'
'
Text, p. 196. Letters, p. 295.
6
8
Ibn Khallikan,
Ibid., p. 523.
De
3 See Letters, pp. 266-7. Introduction to Hariri, p. 50. Sacy's ^ Slane's Translation, i, 114. Letters, pp, 245-9. 9 Yatima, iv, 168 also Letters, pp. 253-5.
Ibid., p. 233.
De
10
Yatimct,
iv,
169,
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
has penetrated the vast realm of Islamic literature, have proved that they were not inappropriately applied to the author of
the
Maqamat.
II.
RHYMED PROSE
O
& -
prose called saj* (^vsj**) because of its evenness or monotony, or from a fancied resemblance between its rhythm and
the cooing of a dove, is a highly artificial style of prose, characIt is a species of terized by a kind of rhythm as well as rhyme. diction to which the Arabic language, because of its structure, the mathematical precision of
essential assonance of
its
RHYMED
manifold formations and the
numerous derivatives from the same root
supplying the connexion between the sound and signification of 1 words, peculiarly lends itself.
According to Jahiz (ob. A.H. 255) the advantages of rhymed prose are twofold it is pleasing to the ear and easy to remember.
;
says the Arabs have uttered a far greater quantity of simple than of rhymed prose, and yet not a tenth of the former has been
retained while not a tenth of the latter has been lost.
2
He
In pagan times
expression
orations.
3
in
It
supposed to have been the mode of dignified discourses, challenges, harangues and was also the form in which the oracular sayings
it
is
and decisions of the kahana, the soothsayers or diviners, each of whom was supposed to have a familiar spirit, were expressed. 4 Because of its association with these pagan practices 5 its use in commands and prohibitions in the early days of Islam
'
'
is
said to have been forbidden.

:
The Prophet
is
reported to have
said
^4==^ f^^ ) f ^VJ
'Avoid ye the rhyming prose of the
soothsayers or diviners.' On the high authority of
Ahmad
ibn Hanbal (ob. A.H. 258),
the founder of one of the four Schools of Law, we have it that the Prophet had a rooted repugnance to this kind of composition. In an incident related by him the Prophet is reported to have
2
3
4
See Chenery's Introduction to Harfrf, pp. 50-51. Kitdb al-Baydn wa'l-Tabyin, i, 112. Ibid., p. 119 (oration of Koss ibn Sa'ida).
Ibid., p. 113;
Qur'an
lii,
29.
I,
Life of
Muhammad,
Wustenfeld, Band
p, 113.
pp, 171, 191.
Kitdb al-Baydn wa'l-Tabyin,
'
!
indignantly exclaimed, What rhymed prose after the manner * of the Arabs of the Days of the Ignorance ? There is, therefore, naturally, no trace of it in the sermon of
'
his farewell
the Prophet after the capture of Mecca, nor is it to be found in address and final charge on the occasion of the last 2 Nor is it used by the Khalifa Mu'awiya in his last pilgrimage.
khutba. 3
In spite of the ban, however,
it
appears there were orators

of the earliest specimens
who spoke
of a
by the celebrated preacher and orator, contemporary with Muhammad, Sahban Wa'il (ob. A.H. 4 On the other hand he did not use it in his reply to 54) Talha al-Talhat the governor of Sijistan. 5
is
.
rhymed prose, khutba in rhymed prose
in
and one
With the spread of Islam the reason for the prohibition disappears and rhymed prose reasserts itself in some of the speeches made by Muslim orators in the presence of the first
Khalifas and no objection appears to have been raised. 6 In early Islamic times it seems to belong to repartee, sententious sayings, the epigram, solemn utterances such as paternal
these
8
advice,
religious
formulae, prayers, elogia addressed
to princes
Jahiz cites several specimens of and the author of the Aghani quotes a eulogy in rhymed
and governors.
9 prose by al-Nabigha al-Ja'adi, one of the most celebrated of 10 the poets contemporary with Muhammad.
century of the Hijra it appears to have been regarded as the symbol of an elevated style peculiar to the
During the
11
first
orator.
In the earlier specimens of female eloquence compiled by Abu'1-Fadl Ahmad ibn Tahir (A.H. 204-80) there is, however, In fact it was trace of this species of composition. But a few as a rare accomplishment if not a lost art. regarded sentences of this form of composition by the wife of Abu'l-Aswad very
little
12
Musnad
iv,
of Ibn Hanbal, iv, 245. Kitdb al-Baydn wa'l-Tabyin, ii, 163-4 and Life of Muhammad (Wustenfeld)
Band
3
5 7 9
968.
ii,
Kitdb al-Amdli,
Hariri, p. 49.
313.
4
6
Chenery's Translation of Hariri,
p. 309.
11
Aghdni, iii, 6. Aghdni, xiv, 3. Kitdb al-Amdli,
10
ii,
Kitdb al-Raydn wa'l-Tabyin, Kitdb al-Baydn wa'l-Tabyin, Ibn Khallikan, i, 456.
i,
i,
113.
111.
73.
12
See Baldghat al-Nisd, pp. 15 and
16.
10
al-Du'li sufficed to
'
THE MAQAMAT OF
Good
l
!
BADI<
mation,
'
draw from the Khalifa Mu'awiya the exclaWhat rhymed prose the woman gracious
speaks
led no doubt to careful preparation
weekly address (khutba) by the Khalifa, and thus paved the way for which found its loftiest expression in rhymed prose. pulpit oratory It is not, however, until the beginning of the third century of the Hijra that it reappears in the khutba and becomes the
institution of the
The
An excellent conventional style of the professional preacher. specimen of a khutba in rhymed prose on death, resurrection
and judgement is that by Ibn Nubata (A.H. 335-74) entitled 2 The language is dignified and the sermon of the vision.' but perfectly plain and intelligible. A vast empire solemn, with its numerous provincial governments and political and
'
commercial relations with neighbouring states required that its edicts, foreign despatches, and official correspondence should be expressed in language at once dignified and forceful.
Out of the necessity of this situation arose the study of the epistolary art and towards the beginning of the second century of the Hijra official letter writers had developed that
florid style
which has ever since been the distinguishing feature
Nevertheless there were writers who such compositions. eschewed this ornateness and wrote in language easy to be underof
stood.
notable example of this natural and simple style is Jahiz whose diction Hamadhani, writing a century later, condemns
as wanting in artifice, adornment,
and ornateness. 3
official
With such
so great
it
assiduity was the art of was the importance attached
writing cultivated,
to
it
and so highly did
to be appreciated, that the Katib, or secretary, not infrequently rose to the highest position in the state, that of Wazir, or chief minister. Tha'alibi throws considerable light
come
upon the
correspondence.' says that epistolary writing began with 'Abd al-Hamid (ob. A.H. 133), Katib, or secretary, to Marwan the last of the Omayyad Khalifas, and ended with Ibn al-Amid (ob. A.H. 359 or
rise
and development of
this official
He
360), the
Wazir
of
Rukn
al-Daula, the
Buwayhid
prince.
See Baldghat al-Nisd,

Text, p. 72.
p. 54.
2
4
Journal Asiatique, January, Yatima, iii, 3.
1840.
11
In this striving after an ornate and elevated style the adoption of a species of composition, that had raised pulpit oratory above the language of every-day life, seems to be a natural
result,
and thus rhymed prose became the
essential feature not
only of official writing, but also of the private correspondence of the learned and the cultured.
It
will
:
be sufficient to
mention three collections of such

edited
;
Epistles
those of Abu'l 'Ala al-Mu'arri (A.H. 363-449),
and translated into English by Professor D. S. Margoliouth extracts from those of Abu Bakr al-Khwarazmi cited by and those of al-Harnadhani himself, edited and Tha'alibi published with notes by Ibrahim Ibn 'All al-Ahdab (Beyrut).
*
;
It
was
Hamadhani, how ever, a master

r
of
the
epistolary
art himself, series of
who
conceived
the
idea
of
demonstrating in
dramatic discourses,
known
to us as the
Maqamat,
life
how
the use of this
mode
of
composition might be extended
to literature so as to
include the entire range of the

people. prose, in a class
associated,
and
the
language
of
the
Arabian
He
was,
therefore,
popularizer of
which
his
rhymed name was first

all
of compositions with
and which have not only
Islamic literature as well as that of the Syrian Christians, and the Spanish Jews, but have served as models of style for more than nine hundred years.
penetrated
o _
III.
THE WORD MAQAMA
(jLUU)
plural Maqamat, from *\S he stood, primarily signifies an occasion of standing, or a place where one stands upright. Standing appears to have been not only the natural, but the con-
MAQAMA,
ventional position of the speaker, e.g.
people stood up to speak. I have heard that 'Ali ibn al-Husain was standing admonish(2) ing the peopled 4 (3) Come near and eat, or, if thou wilt, stand and speak.
The
8
3 4
Yatima, iv, 114-23. Kitdb al-Amdli, ii, 73. Maqamat of al- Hamadhani,
p,
130,
Maqamat
of al-Hariri, p. 21.
12
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

The
practice of standing to
speak goes back to Homeric
times
Damaan,
seemly
it is
friends
and heroes, men of Arie's company,
to listen to
him who standeth

(A.
to speak.
According to Ibn
Qutaiba
discussions held in the assemblies of

2
H. 276) reports of the literary men of learning and culture
received, early in the 'Abbasid period (A. H. 132-656), the
name
Maqama.
These
institution.
literary reunions
appear to have been a recognized Saif al-Daula used to hold an assembly every night
;
to
which men of learning came and conversed in his presence 3 and Tha'alibi, in referring to the literary splendour of Bukhara in Hamadhani's time, mentions a remarkable gathering of the chief
4 scholars of the day at the Court of that State. Maqama probably acquired the more restricted
meaning
of a
discourse, exhortation or oration, between the time of Jahiz (ob. A.H. 255) and that of Hamadhani (ob. A.H. 398).
The
word from the time

sixth century A.D.)
extracts given below illustrate the various uses of the of the pre-Islamic poet Zuheir (end of the
to that of the author
(end of the eleventh

:
century A.D.)
(1)
.
It is
thus used by early writers
By Zuheir and quoted by Hamadhani

j
+.
-^
r,
c.
<
*t
Hi Jyii) l#
And among them
are
maqdmdt
champions and the

*
like
whose faces are
fair,
And
(2)
councils where words are followed by deeds.

(ob. A.H. 190)
:
By Abu Tammam
Concerning
(situation)
every
;
battlefield
and
in
every
maqdma
6
Which
1
obtain from poetry covenants and contracts.
Iliad,
Book
xix, line 79.

i,
3
4
Brockelman, Gesch. der Arab Litteratur, Ibn Khallikan, i, 105.
94,
5 6
Yatima, iv, 33. Shu'ard al-Nasrdniah,
p. 573.
Abu Tammam (Beyrut
edition), p. 82, last line.
13
Of many a maqdma
speech whose weapons have rendered other people's talk weak, wherein there are waves of language which cannot be cleared away, Hast thou dispelled the] darkness with a decisive speech 1 like unto a determining blow in the time of peril.
And
if
he
is
present in the
maqdma
Luqman
assembly or council
the sage.*
on the day of
final decision,
Thou
(3)
wilt see the equal of

:
By
al-Qattal
^
Aufc
.*^
p'^j
In the presence of the maqdma a company of people I adjured Ziad to desist, And I reminded him of the ties of relationship of Sa'r 3 and Haitham that bound us together.
(4)
By
Jahiz (ob. A. H. 255)
And he
sat down and the company were Arabs who were discussing tradition and citing proof passages and proverbs, and from history, battles and maqdmdt speeches
^
Solitary ones
of
who have
not heard the barking of the dogs
(5)
maqdma a company of By Abu 'All al-Qali (ob. 356)
Bedawin. 6
:
Maqama
1
Majlis, a
company
2
of people.
AbuTammam (Beyrut edition),

Hamasa, Haywdn,
p. 95.
4
p. 211, line 4.
Ibid., p. 256, line 4
from the end.
3
6
Book of Misers (Lyden

Kitdb al-Amdii,
i,
edition), p. 218, line 23,
part
iv,
154.
95.
THE MAQAMAT OF BAD!

(6)
By Hamadhani
.,
..G-
1=3
(i)
There used
the like
to reach
me
of the
maqdmdt
1
discourses and
and sayings
of al-Iskanderi.
So wait for the end of his maqdma a discourse. The word here refers to a stirring sermon which 'isa ibn
Hisham had been
listening to.
And him who
enters the
maqdmdt
3
companies or assem-
blies of respectable people.
And of their maqdmdt
distinguishing marks is the vileness of their assemblies of chief men, or speeches. 4
>J<
Verily he who has dictated four hundred 5 mendicity.
maqdmdt on
Although the maqamat were composed chiefly

of the learned
for assemblies
and
for the entertainment of the great, the
word
maqama
position
is
first
applied associated with his name,
by Hamadhani himself
to the species of comand not to the people

It is in this restricted
who assembled
sense that
to listen to his discourses.
it has come down to us. As the extracts from different authors do, however, show that the word has the triple signification of an oratorical address or
harangue, a collection of champions, or a company of people, I have preferred a transliteration to the rendering by the familiar,
but unsatisfactory, term assembly.
IV.
ORIGIN AND CHARACTER OF THE MAQAMAT
century of Islam there were scarcely any books and knowledge was handed down orally. In fact there was, till well
first
1
IN the
Text, p. 25,
Ibid., p. 135.
5
Ibid., p. 160.
Letters, p. 106,
Ibid., p. 390.
15
within the second century of the Hijra, a decided antipathy towards the written word l and those who desired to learn the 2 Indeed the only traditions of the Prophet were obliged to travel.
way knowledge could be had w as by travelling. Those who wished to study Arabic philosophy,
r
poetry, legend
and the idiom of the desert were obliged to pursue 3 and investigations among the Bedawin tribes.
their researches
Travel in search of knowledge thus rendered necessary at first by circumstance became the fashion not only for the acquisition of knowledge, but also for the dissemination and display thereof.
thus led to the evolution of the vagabond scholar, a kind of knight-errant of literature and the prototype of the medieval
It
wandering man of learning. Inspired by such examples of peripatetic scholars as well as 4 Hamadhani by his o\vn wanderings and varied experience, imagined a profoundly clever and witty but unscrupulous improplace, appearing in a variety of but always opportunely, in the gatherings disguises unexpectedly, of the great and the literary assemblies of the learned and living
visor
wandering from place to
on the
rich presents,
the display of his erudition rarely failed to
produce from the generous and the cultured, and a rawi, or narrator, a man of means of mature age, of. a grave and generous
disposition with a penchant for learning
who should
vagabond
continually
scholar
of
meet him and
relate his learned compositions.
Abu'1-Fath, therefore, represents
the
Hamadhani's own day, and, one

sionally
is
inclined to
believe, occa-
the
author himself relating his

6
own
experiences or
personal adventures.
The conception was an advance to

on account of the
representation of
life
the dramatic style which,
religious objection to the portrayal or realistic
or the
7
human
form,
had hitherto been
wanting
1
in
Arabic literature.
De
3 5
See Ibn Khallikan,
Slane's Introduction to Ibn Kallikan, p. i, 102.
xxiii.
3
4
Ibid., p. xxxi.
Numerous examples
See Letters, pp. 101-2. of these rich rewards, out of all proportion to the per-
formance, might be quoted, e.g. Abu'l-'Anbas, the hero of the forty-second maqama, received from the Khalifa Mutuwakkil 10,000 dirhems for a few verses. (See
Yaqut, Dictionary of Learned Men, vi, 406). Several instances are mentioned by Ibn Khallikan in his life of Saif al-Daula, ii, 334-7. 6 See Letters, pp. 104-5 and Text, pp. 187-8.
7
See Qur'an,
v.
92 and
Hermann
Reich,
Der Mtmus,
p. 80.
16
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

According to the Za.hr al-Adab the occasion of the composing
of the
Maqamat was
as
follows
Abu
Ishaq,
surnamed
al-
Husri, or the maker or seller of mats (ob. at Qairawan A.H. 413). contemporary with Hamadhani, after referring in the most
flattering
name and
'
terms to the unique appropriateness of the author's appellation, Abu'l Fadl and Badi' al-Zaman, the
'
Father of Excellence
'
:
and the
'
Wonder
of the
'
Age
respectively,
writes
Bakr ibn Duraid the Azdite (A.H. 223-321) had composed forty rare stories on a variety of subjects expressed in strange sounding speech
al-
When
Hamadhani observed
that
Abu
and obsolete and incongruous words, such as men's natures would shrink from and their ears be closed against, which he said he had produced from the springs of his breast, extracted from the mines of his thought and exposed to public view and perception, Hamadhani met him with four hundred Maqamat on mendicity.' 2 These are instinct with interest and beauty and between no two of them is there the slightest resemblance, either as regards words or ideas. He 'attributes the composition and narration
them to two persons. 3 One of them he called 'Isa ibn Hisham and the other he named Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi. These two he made to exchange pearls of thought and to give expression to bewitching language such as would cause the sorrowful to laugh and the staid to become excited. In these compositions he acquaints us with every kind of pleasantry and informs us of
of
*
every species of subtlety. Generally, one of the characters made the author of the story and the other the narrator of it.' 4
is
Ibn Khallikan makes no mention of these stories in the list of works ascribed to Ibn Duraid 5 nor is there any reference to them
in that cited
by Yaqut.
kind by that author
is
nearest approach to a work of this the Kitdb al-Lughdt on the dialects or
The
idiomatic expressions of the Arabs. 7

Ibn Khallikan, i, 34. On p. 49 of the Letters, Hamadhani taunts Abu Bakr al-Khwarazmi with having persistently practised mendicity and condemns the practice as a degrading one
*
!
3
4
Hariri says
' :
Both these are obscure persons not known.

i,
Hariri, p. 6.
Zahr al-Addb,
Men
poets and
6 7
pp. 254-5. of learning said of Ibn Duraid that he was the most learned ablest poet among the learned. Ibn Khallikan, iii, 38.
vi,
among
the
Dictionary of Learned Men, Ibn Khallikan, iii, 38,
489,
17
If, therefore, the stories were what they were represented to be by al-Husri they were probably written in a dialect which had
become obsolescent.
It is interesting to
reached and were known
observe that Hamadhani's compositions had in Qairawan, the sacred city of Islam in
Tunisia, at this early date, and that we have from the pen of another contemporary a criticism, which probably expressed the
opinion of the learned world as to the literary merits of the
Maqamat.
The
triple
to interest
aim of Hamadhani appears to have been to amuse, and to instruct and this explains why, in spite of the
;
inherent difficulty of a work of this kind composed primarily with a view to rhetorical effect upon the learned and the great,
there
is
is
little
There scarcely a dull chapter in the fifty-one maqamat. evidence that the story or the adventure is subordinated
to the style.
the author essayed, in the course of these dramatic discourses, to illustrate the life and language both of the denizens of the desert and of the dw ellers in towns, to give examples of
r
When
the jargon and slang of thieves and robbers as well as of the lucubrations of the learned and the conversations of the cultured,
and
to
show the use
of strange
and obsolete words and phrases,
such as are found in the proverbs probably the oldest forms of the Arabic language and the earliest utterances of the Arabian On page people difficult and obscure passages were inevitable.
10 of the text the author asserts that one of his objects was to capture these rare words and strange sayings. In fact the collection
of
l
nawadir,
or
recondite
expressions,
was a
favourite
pursuit.
In electing to do this in rhymed prose he imposed upon himself all the limitations of a style which, in any but the hand of a master, tends to become oppressively monotonous and depressingly dull.
2
In pleasing contrast, however, to the numerous obscurities, intentional and otherwise, the hypocritical and dishonest Qadi,
the Bedawin robber, the simple rustic, the eloquent and fearless
See
collection
of
nawadir
in
Mabadi al-Lughat by Shaikh 'Abdullah
(ob. A. H. 421) pub. A. H. 1325.

2
See Ibn 'Arabshah, Life of Timiir.
18
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
preacher, the garrulous trader, the miserly merchant, and the loquacious barber with his amazing malapropisms containing
cleverly concealed allusions,
skill of
are portrayed with all the graphic a master of the art of description. The commentator in referring to the author's descriptive
* :
power says
He combines
the
accuracy of the idiom of the
dwellers of the desert with the refinement and taste of the people of the towns, so that the reader imagines himself to be now
among
the hair tents of a
Bedawin encampment and anon amidst

l
the stately buildings of a
city.'
The second point of importance in this extract from the Zahr al-Addb is the reference to the number of the compositions. AlHusri must have had the Maqamat and the Letters before him,
because he gives copious extracts from both in the work above mentioned, and if there had not been four hundred he would, in all probability, have alluded to the fact when mentioning their
number.
We have, therefore, in the printed text
about one-eighth
of the original work. The question, as to
whether the maqamat are impromptu
compositions, as they were represented to be, may be disposed of by a consideration of the maqamat themselves. They bear
evident trace of scholarly preparation and literary finish, and I think the author himself, unconsciously, furnishes the explanation.
In the fortieth
maqama
by virtue of much reading. I 2 gation and from investigation to composition.' Again, on page 389 of the Letters, in replying
strictures passed
r
he says I wrote elegantly on from reading to investipassed

:
'
to certain
on the maqamat and to the taunt by his great Abu Bakr al-Khwarazmi, that he w as unable to produce any rival, Now if that savant were just he would have more, he writes endeavoured to produce five maqamat, or ten original compositions,
* :
and submitted them to the judgement of the cultured and then, if they approved and did not reject them, he might have adversely criticized us. Now let him understand that, while I have dictated four hundred maqamat on mendicity, between no two of which is .there any resemblance, either as regards words or ideas, he is
unable to produce a tenth of a maqama, and, deserves to have his faults exposed.'
1
therefore,
he
Introduction to the Text, p. 1.
Text, pp. 203-4.
It
15
seems reasonable to suppose that his modus operandi was suggested that al-Khwarazmi should have adopted, namely, to first submit a few maqamat to the learned
the plan which he
for their opinion.
The
author's boast that
'
any similarity, either as regards with fact, and if the entire
between no two maqamat is there words or ideas,' is not consistent work had been known to alvery doubtful
if
Khwarazmi
in A. H. 383,
it
is
such a statement
would have been made. Al-Husri reproduces the assertion without comment. There are several cases of resemblance and not a few of repetition, both in regard to words and ideas. For example, the line on page 13, In the evening they are Arabs, in the morning Nabateans reappears, with a very slight The themes of the twentyvariation, on page 88 of the text. The fourth fifth and the thirty-fourth maqamat are identical. and the thirty-seventh have much in common. The fifteenth and the fortieth have similar concluding verses. The forty-fourth is a variation and largely a reproduction of the Other instances of resemblance are recorded in twenty-eighth.
'
',
the notes.
Each maqama is complete in itself and generally consists of 1 It usually concludes with some a melange of prose and verse. clever verses in which the improvisor administers a sharp rebuke,
or explains, or justifies his conduct to the narrator. The maqamat vary in length. Some of them extending over
several pages
2
while others are limited to a few
lines.
In some
both persons of the drama are not introduced, and the narrator, who is, of course, the author himself, speaks in his own character. 4
In others one
5
is
left
to conjecture as to the
identity of the
improvisor.
As regards the parallelism, which

1
style of
the work,
in
its
distinctive feature
is
consists
making the second part
of
There are more than a hundred pieces
of poetry distributed throughout the
Text.
a
The Maqamat of Madirah, pp. 101-15 and Saimara, pp. 207-16. The Maqamat of Knowledge, p. 202 and Advice, p. 204 and
The Maqamat of Baghdad, Saimara and The Maqama of the Najim.
Bishr.
the Yellow,
p. 229.
4 5
20
sentence balance with the
first,
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

either
by way of
antithesis, or
by
it
expressing the same idea in different words, thus producing, as 1 were, a rhyme of the sense as well as of the sound.
The Maqamat
did
much
to fix a style of composition in
which
is
Persian and Greek ideas could
make
little
inroads.
purist
Still
there
more of the foreign element than the More than sixty such words have been
far as possible, to original sources.
would approve. collected and traced, as
The
copious notes and numerous references essential to the
elucidation of the text afford in themselves abundant evidence of
the difficult nature and comprehensive character of the Maqamat. The sources the author has drawn upon for his materials are, as
might be expected, exclusively Muslim. They consist of the comparison of the poets, an important branch of belles-lettres
o))> the relative merits of Jarir and Farazdaq, a question the Arabs never seemed able to decide incidents from the lives
(<
;
of
Dhur'l-Rumma and Farazdaq
tests of
2
principal poets and
their poetry;
acquaintance with the polemical questions such as
the Mu'tazilite heresy, the doctrine of free will and the dogmas of predestination and the uncreate Qur'an. There are examples of the proverbial generosity of the Ham-
danid prince Saif al-Daula and the Arab's knowledge of the points of the horse, popular superstitions such as the belief in charms,
pulpit oratory, the dangers of the desert, apt quotations from the Qur'an, popular sayings and customs illustrative of Bedawin insolence of the servants of the great, flattering and life,
faithless
friends
and
their
treatment,
eulogy of the patron,
Qadi and the convivial assembly. Others might be mentioned, but these are sufficient to show the subjects Hamadhani laid under contribution, and the versatile character
satirizing of the
of the
Maqamat.
question as to whether Hamadhani owed anything, models directly or indirectly, to Greek scholarship or Byzantine is an extremely difficult one upon which to venture an opinion. In the matter of the lavish display of erudition, intentional
The
obscurities,
1
and the use
of
words of doubtful meaning, the

p. 45.
See Chenery's Introduction to Harm',
The Kitab al-Aghdnt, which
the author was able
to
consult,
contains
numerous references to these four themes. 3 Taken from Abu'l-'Anbas.
AL-2AMAN AL-HAMADHANI
Maqamat may be compared with
Lycophron (285-247
It is
21
the Cassandra, or Alexandra of
B.C.).
highly improbable, however, that the author derived any But the similarity inspiration from this product of antiquity.
suggests
that
the
same demons
of
difficulty,
obscurity,
and
pedantry, entered the orators and poets of both nations at ent periods.
differ-
For
less
instance,
Hamadhani
boasts of his ability to employ no

in
1
writing and composition, such as the writing of a letter which, if read backwards, furnishes the required reply, or an epistle containing no dotted
artifices
than four hundred
without using the letters ( ) or ( J ), or a letter which read one way constitutes a eulogy, and, if taken in feats which, when they were proposed to another, is a satire Abu Bakr al-Khwarazmi as literary tests, he denounced as the
letters,
or
if
tricks of a juggler.
artifices in
disposition, however, to make use of such Maqamat, but the suggestion was not lost upon Hariri, who frequently employed them for the display of his 3 superior skill and learning. In point of literary style and in regard to the manner of delittle
He shows
the
scribing in an
is
amusing way the occurrences of everyday life there Maqamat and the Satires of Horace (65-8 B.C.). Here again the resemblance is accidental
a closer resemblance between the
rather than essential.
There
is,
Maqamat and the Greek Mimes.

striking that
however, a far closer resemblance between the The similarity is indeed so

is
one
almost forced into the
belief, either that
they
must have had a common

spirit
origin or that the
same informing
So
speaks to the nations irrespective of race, time, or place. far as we know the Mime commences seriously with
'
Sophron (about 430 B.C.), whose Mimes, unlike those of HeThese dialogues rondas, which we have, were in prose. contained both male and female characters. Some were serious and some were humorous in style. They portrayed the daily life of the Sicilian Greeks, and were written in pithy, popular 4 language full of proverbs and colloquialisms.'
l
Letters, p. 74.
Ibid., p. 76.
3
4
See
Hteriri, vi, xv, xvi, xviii, xxix, xliv, etc,
Encyclopedia Britannica, xxv,
429,
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

Almost every word of this description of the Mimes might, mutatis mutandis, be applied to the Maqamat. According to Reich the Mime influenced the thought of early ecclesiastical
and controversy its way to India and flourished in Syria, Palestine, Alexandria, Antioch and Constanti3 It would be strange indeed if the Arabs alone remained nople. That the term Mime was known to ignorant of its existence.
writers,
and was a subject
of considerable concern
It
with the Christian Fathers. 1
found
>
them appears from the word <L*x>j& and it is conceivable that the practice of composing humorous or entertaining dialogues passed from Greek to Syriac and from Syrian to Arabic. Once having received the impulse or inspiration the Arabs
would, in accordance with their national genius, develop the idea on their own lines, as they did in the case of law and grammar.
mere conjecture, but the outstanding fact of resemblance remains a problem upon which investithe striking gation and research may some day shed new light.
This
is,
of course,
Finally, the practice of making one person the hero of a series of adventures has been tried by some modern writers. In
common
Grant Allen's An African Millionaire Colonel Clay has much in with Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi, the hero of the Maqamat.
V.
HAMADHANI AND HARIRI COMPARED

compose
his
'
WHEN
Hariri undertook to
'
Maqamat
following
A comtwo works reveals how closely he followed his model and how largely he drew upon the original source, not only for ideas but also frequently for themes and, occasionally, for the language in which to express them.
the method of Badi'
parison of the
a close imitation was inevitable.
For example,
in
maqama
p.
xiii,
Hamadhani,
manner.
ni's
p. 61,
introduces the
names
147 Hariri, in imitation of of colours in an artificial
Hariri's
p.
poem,
90.
verses on
Hariri
159 closely resembles Hamadhav, 49 and Hamadhani v, 20

Hariri
xviii,
are
identical in title
and theme.
199
is
a very
xxii,
close imitation and, in parts, a literal
copy
of
Hamadhani
101.
The themes
the same.
1
of Hariri xii
and xxxix and Hamadhani
xxiii are
IJariri
xxx
is
a variation of
*
Hamadhani
xxx.
In the
Der Mimus,
pp, 154-5.
Ibid., pp. 699-700.
former
23
the cant of beggars, mountebanks, and the like, and in the latter an enumeration of the methods pursued by the
we have
The fraternity of burglars, cutpurses, thieves, and the like. themes of Hariri viii and Hamadhani xxxi are similar. Hariri iii
and
xlvii
have much
in
common
with Hamadhani xvi and

xli
xliii.
In Hariri xlix and
Hamadhani
made
to give his son advice as to his future career.
the improvisors are each In the
former Abu Zeid advises his son to follow what he had found to
be the freest and most lucrative of
all
pursuits, that of
mendi-
In the latter Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi, influenced perhaps cancy. the consideration that he had derived little personal advantage by from the life of the vagabond scholar, takes a different view and
1
lays
down
mercial
the rules his son should observe in pursuing a comcareer. Other points of resemblance will be found
in the notes.
mentioned
Allusions to popular sayings and customs, history and legend,
theology and jurisprudence, specimens of eloquence and pulpit oratory, apt quotations from the Qur'an and the citing of proverbs,
the use of the rare and the recondite, constitute the groundwork common to both books. The maqamat of Hamadhani are,
therefore, an excellent introduction to the ampler, rate and comprehensive work of .his. great imitator.
art of
more elabo-
In a comparison of the works of these two masters of the maqamat writing regard should be had to the fact that
the
maqamat
of
Hamadhani
are the
work
of a
young man,
completed in all probability before he had attained his thirtieth year, whereas those of Hariri were begun when the author had reached the mature age of forty-eight, and occupied the last
twenty years of his
life.
As regards their relative merits Hamadhani is much more He has more of art and less of artificiality natural than Hariri.
than his imitator. There
in
is less
grammatical riddles rich resources of the

is
and
disposition on his part to indulge linguistic puzzles, or to ransack the
subject
less
is
Arabic language for rare words. The subordinated to the style, or the sense to the
of
sound than
the case with Hariri.
And
yet the
work
Hamadhani, which
to
in his
own day made
him famous from Herat

1
Northern Africa and earned for him

De
Sacy's Introduction to Harirf, p. 50.
Letters, p. 161.
24
'
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
The wonder of the Age ', is little known, the proud appellation, while that of Hariri has been for centuries one of the beststudied books in Arabic literature and, next to the Qur'an, has engaged the attention of the largest number of scholarly com-
mentators.
and
In spite of one's disposition to accord the palm to originality art rather than to imitation and artificiality, an author's
countrymen are the best judges of the merits of his literary productions, and therefore the verdict of posterity in favour of Hariri must be accepted. The lame horse has indeed outrun
'
'
'
the sturdy steed '. A.H. 496, deplores
Hariri, writing nearly a century later, about the decadence of learning. Whose breeze
'
has
then
stilled
is
and whose
lights
have well-nigh gone
out.'
Here
probably the first cause of the neglect of Hamadhani. As far as we know no carefully collated and vocalized text of the Maqdmat was in circulation before that edited and annotated by
in A.H. 1306, or more than nine hundred years after the author's death. On the other hand, the work of teaching and explaining the Maqamat of Hariri was
the late Shaikh
Muhammad
'Abdu
continued by his sons 4 and the first commentary was written within fifty years of the demise of the author.
Mutarrizi, the earliest scholiast,
was born
in A.H. 458, or
only
twenty-two years after the death of Hariri, and even then he asserts that he found it necessary to consult practically the entire
range of Arabic literature, and to refer to the principal Shaikhs of the time before he commenced his commentary on the Maqamat. 5
In the case of the
Maqamat
of
Hamadhani
there
was
pro-
bably no vocalized text in circulation, and there certainly was no commentary for more than nine centuries. Without such aids a literary work of this kind, covering so wide a field and written in an original and ornate style, would present considerable difficulty even to the ripe scholar, while to the struggling student it was
doomed
to be what it actually became, These circumstances and facts account,
virtually a sealed book. to some extent at least,
for the long neglect of this classic in Arabic literature.

l
Hariri, p. 6.
Ibid., p. 6.
For a character sketch
British Occupation * Ibn Khallikan, ii, 493 and 496. * De Sacy's Introduction to Iâriri, p. 58.
of the commentator, see Blunt, Secret History of the of Egypt, p. 105.
'AL-ZAMAN AL-HAMADHANI
If this
25
translation of the text
and the
efforts to elucidate
it
but result in making the author known, as he certainly deserves to be, to a wider circle of readers, the labours of the translator
will not
have been in vain.
THE MAQAMAT
I.
THE MAQAMA OF POESIE

and said
I
'IsA IBN
HISHAM
related to us
until
me
hither
l
and thither
Separation once hurled reached the utmost confines of

:
Here, to fortify myself against the days, I took Jurjan.' I invested in arable land which I proceeded to cultivate.
some some
goods as
business,
I
my
stock-in-trade, settled
upon a shop
as
my
place of
and selected some
friends
whom I made my companions.

in the evening, and,
stayed at
home
I
in the
morning and
9
between
8
these times,
was
at the shop.
Now one day, when we were seated together discussing poetry

and
poets, there was sitting, but a short distance off, a youth listening as if he understood, and remaining silent as though he
did not know, until
lengthy
we were carried disputation, when he said

4
away, by our discussion and Ye have found the little

'
palm
I
tree loaded with fruit,

I
so desired,
I
could talk
and got the little rubbing-post. and that eloquently, and, were I
Yea,
I
If
to
speak,
5 should quench their thirst for knowledge.
would
1 Jurjan : A well-known town between Tabaristan and Khurasan, said to have been founded by Yazid ibn Muhalleb. It was once noted for its silk fabrics which were sent to all parts of the world. Yaqut (Wustenfeld), ii, 48.
ct>yW The shop
arabicized from the Syriac
hamuthi
'
a room or
'
cell.
It
has frequently in Arabic the more restricted meaning of this type, see Fleischer, Kleinere Schriften, i, 172.
(jtofi\
wineshop
For words of
See
'
Poetry
probably
connected
with
:
kyi
to
praise.
Ad-ddd
Choking
(Houtsnfa), p. 252 and the well-known proverb
(jbfl\
^^
u*2j^H J^-
way of the verse Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 340. 4 Ye have found the little palm tree loaded with fruit, etc. Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 47. The meaning is I am one of those by means of whose counsel
stops the
'
'
people seek
relief.
:
' I should quench their thirst for knowledge Literally, up from the watering quenched and take others down.
would bring camelt
make
27
the truth clear in the arena of eloquence so as to cause the deaf to hear and draw down the white-footed goats from their O learned one Come near, mountain haunts.' So I said
' :
!
thou hast inspired us with the feeling that we shall derive much benefit from thee. Speak, for thou hast cut thy wisdom tooth.' He then approached and said Question me, and I and I will delight you.' So we asked will answer you. Listen,
for
'
:
him
'
' :
What
the
dost thou say regarding

first
He was
3
to
Imr al-Qais ? l He said 2 stand lamenting over the encampments and

' :
their areas,
nests,
who
set out early while the birds

4 of the horse.
were
still
in their
and described the points
He
did not com-
pose poetry for gain, nor speak eloquently from covetousness and, therefore, he was superior to him whose tongue was loosened
designingly and whose fingers were foraging for a prize. next asked What dost thou say to Nabigah ? 6 He answered He is as ready to revile, when he is angry, as he is to eulogize when he is pleased he makes excuses when he is frightened and
;
'
We
:
'
'
'
he shoots not but he

Zuheir
'
hits.'
'
:
We
asked
1
*
:
What
sayest thou to
melts him.
He answered He summons
:
Zuheir
melts poetry and poetry
words and enchantment answers him.'
Imr
al-Qais
vii,
Prince of the
Banu Kindeh,
the well-known author of the moit
celebrated of the Mu'allaqdt, flourished about the middle of the sixth century A.D.
Aghdni,
2
60.
the first to stand lamenting : i.e. he was the first to introduce the prelude in the form of a lament or erotic prologue over the deserted encampment with which almost every subsequent qasida begins. But, according to Ibn Qutaiba
He was
(Kitdb al-Sh'ir wa'l-Shu'ard, p. 52), the first to make this prelude fashionable was a certain Ibn al-Humam or Ibn Khedham. See also Aghdni, iv, 114 and 149.
3
Set out early while the birds were still in their nests
(Lyall.)
Qasida
of
Imr
al-
Kais, v. 53.
4
5
Described the points of the horse : ibid., vv. 53-70. Were foraging for a prize i.e. were writing for gain. * Al-Nabigah al-Dhubyani : Proper name Ziad ibn Mu'awiya, a well-known poet, who lived at the courts of Ghassan and al-Hfra during the latter half of the
:
century before Islam.

Lyall, p. 152)
classed with the authors of the Mu'allaqdt (see ed. by have had a close acquaintance with Christianity. For a fuller notice of this poet, see Nicholson, p. 121 and Aghdni, ix, 154. 7 Zuheir ibn Abi Sulma of the tribe of Muzaina, the author of the third Mu'allaqa, flourished about the end of the eigth century A.D. He is remarkable It is said of him he only praised a man for his wise sayings and moral reflections. for what was in him. Hamadhani's opinion of him Zuheir melts poetry and poetry melts him is no exaggerated estimate of his poetic genius. He was one
He is
and
is
said to
of the triad of pre-Islamic poets, the other
two being Imr al-Qais and Nabigah.
Shu'ard s.l-Nasraniah,
p. 510.
28
THE MAQAMAT OF
said
' :
BADI'
* :
dost thou say to Tarafa ? l He replied He is the very water and clay of poetry, the treasure-house and He died 2 before his secret treasures metropolis of its rhymes.
'
We
What
came
said
:
to light, or the locks of his store-houses were opened.' What sayest thou to Jarir and Farazdaq, and which of
'
We
them is superior?' He answered: 'Jarir's 3 poetry is sweeter and more copious, but Farazdaq's 4 is more vigorous and more brilliant. Again Jarir is a more caustic satirist and can tell of more celebrated battles, 5 whereas al- Farazdaq is more ambitious and belongs to the nobler clan. 8 Jarir, when he sings the
praises of the fair,
stroys,
draws tears. when he eulogizes, he but,
When
he vituperates, 7 he deexalts. And al- Farazdaq 8 in
1 He flourished Tarafa ibn al-'Abd was a member of the tribe of Bakr. about the middle of the eigth century A.D. and was the author of a Mu'allaqa, No.
He early developed a talent for satire which cost him his life age of twenty, so that he is generally called the youth of twenty '. Nicholson, p. 107 and Ibn Qutayba, Sh'ir wa'l-Shu'ard, p. 88. 2 He died: a reference to Tarafa's untimely end. 3 Jarir ibn 'Atiyyah (ob. A.H. 110 A.D. 728-9), of the tribe of Kulayb was court poet of Hajjaj ibn Yusuf the governor of 'Iraq. He was famous for his satire. He
2 in
Ly all's
edition.
at the early
'
survived al-Farazdaq, his lifelong rival, but a short time Nicholson, p. 244 and Aghdni, vii, 35.
4
either thirty or forty days.
Al-Farazdaq:
Hammam
ibn Ghalib,
generally
known
as al-Farazdaq,
belonged to the tribe of Tamim and was born at Basra towards theend of 'Umar's He was one of the triad of early Islamic poets, the other two being Khalifate. Akhtal and Jarir. He died in 110 A.H. A.D. 728-9), at the great age of a hundred.
Aghdni,
*
viii,
180.
more celebrated battles : The Days, i.e. the great battles of the Uj> jy^ For a list of the Days of the Arabs see the Majma al-Bahrein, p. 150. 6 Nobler clan : Al-Farazdaq belonged to the tribe of Tamim and Jarir to the Kulayb, a branch of the Tamim. 7 When he vituperates he destroys : For an example of this, see Kitdb alAghdni, vii, 46 and Nicholson, p. 245. 8 Farazdaq and Jarir are connected by a strange rivalry. For years they were engaged in a public scolding competition in which they roundly abused each other, and exhibited their marvellous skill in manipulating the vast resources of vituperaSee The Naka'id or Flytings of Jarir and Faraztion of the Arabic language.
Arabs.
volumes edited by Professor A. A. Bevan (Leyden, 1905-12). The and Farazdaq were a favourite subject for discussion. See Aghdni, vii, 37 and Nicholson, p 239. It is difficult to gather from Hamadhani's comparison of these two poets as to which of them he accords the palm. Probably he intended the question to remain 'I have never been in an assembly where the company undecided. Yunas says The Arabs, while was unanimous as to which of the two was the better poet. they considered Jarir, al-Farazdaq and al-Akhtal to be the three greatest Isldmic Kitdb al-Aghdni, poets, differed in the matter of assigning precedence to them.
daq
in three
relative merits of Jarir
vii,
36.
Aghdni,
iii,
Comparison of poets formed a branch 101 and viii, 75.
of belles
lettres
(s-^)
See
glorying
is all-sufficient.
29
When
full
he scorns he degrades, but, when
he praises, he renders the

opinion of the
'
meed.'
We
said
'
'
:
What
is
thy
:
He answered modern and the ancient poets ? The language of the ancients is nobler and their themes more delightful, whereas the conceits of the moderns are more refined and their style more elegant.' We then said If thou wouldst exhibit some of thy poetry and tell us something about thyonly self.' He replied Here are answers to both questions in one
l
'
:
'
essay
'
Do you
not see
am
wearing a thread-bare cloak,

lot,
in misfortune, by a bitter hatred for the nights, Cherishing From which I meet with red ruin, 3
Borne along
utmost hope is for the rising of Sirius, 4 But long have we been tormented by vain hopes. Now this noble personage was of higher degree And his honour 5 was of greater price,
My
enjoyment, I pitched my green tents In the mansion of Dara, 6 and in the Hall 7 of Kisra,
1 What is thy opinion of the modern and the ancient potts ?: This wa another favourite topic for discussion. The opinion of scholars in the time of the author was that the pre-Islamic poets had been excelled by their successors and
For
my
both had been surpassed by the poets of the day of
whom
the famous Mutanabbi
was
*
chief.
Do you
is
not see I
am
is
verses
rejez.
\^> a thread-bare
wearing a thread-bare cloak ?: The metre of theft This word, which is met with so frecloak.
quently in the Maqamat,

dress.
3 4
used to denominate an exceedingly old and shabby
Red ruin
Literally, red vicissitudes.

:
The rising of Sirius The greater dog-star. This star rises (aurorally) in the time of intense heat, and this he ardently desires because of the insufficiency of his clothing to protect him from the cold. Certain of the Arab tribes worshipped
this star.
5
See Qur'an,
:
liii,
50.
His honour
Literally, the water of this face.

'
The ingenuous blush

',
of
an
honest
It
man
is
called by the Arabs
water of the face
hence modesty,
self-respect.
also
6
means lustre. The mansion of Dara
Built by Darius
I,
or the Great, son of Hystaspea, or the

A.D.,
'
in 521 B.C.
7
The Hall
((.jjjl)
or Palace of Kisra
The Aiwan,
century
:
immense
hall of
the palace built by al-Nushirwan,
in the sixth
twenty-five miles
from Baghdad.
Ibn al-Hajib writing on the Aiwan says O thou who didst build it a lofty structure and, through the Aiwan relegated the skill of time to oblivion, these palaces, pleasure houses, buildings, and castles of our Kisra al-Nushirwan. See Yaqut, i, 425.
30
THE MAQAMAT OF
But fortune reversed
BADI'
my
circumstances,
became a stranger Of my wealth nought remained but a memory, And so on until to-day. But for the old dame at Surra- Manra 8 And the babes on this side of the hills of Basra,
pleasure,
And
my
familiar friend,
to
me.
Upon whom
I
fate has
brought
affliction,
3
would,
masters, destroy myself deliberately.'

:
I gave him what I had to hand and 'Isa ibn Hisham said then he turned away from us and departed. Now I began to and then to assert him, I failed to recognize him, and yet deny
I
seemed to know him, when

I
*
his front teeth directed

',
me
to him.
left
Then
young
Fath
?
Al-Iskanderi by Heavens and had now returned full grown.

said
:
'
for
he had
I
us
So
'
followed in his
track, seized
him by the waist and

life
said
Art thou not Abu'lhast thou then at
Did we not
rear thee as a child

?
and didst 5 thou not pass
years of thy
with us
What
:
old
dame
Surra-Manra?'
He
*
laughed and recited
Sirrah the times are false,*
Let not deception beguile thee. Cleave not to one character, but,
As the nights change, do thou change
too.'
Reversed
my
circumstances
Literally turned the back of the shield to
me
figuratively, for
became
hostile.
:
The Khalifa Mu'tasim (A.D. 833-42) removed from Baghdad, sixty miles further up the Tigris to Samarra the official spelling of which was Surra-man ra'a, a contraction of Surur-man ra'a, 'the beholder's joy, which suddenly grew into a superb city of palaces and barracks. For an account of recent excavations at Samarra, revealing examples of art and architecture of the 'Abbasid period, see Lughat El-Arab No. XI, May, 1913,
*
Surra-man ra'a (Samarra)
his court
pp. 515-20.
3
would
deliberately destroy myself:

at or cast at until
alive
and then shot

= c
he was
killed, or
\^> Jxi means he was confined he was slain deliberately,
not in the field of battle, nor by mistake.
young Literally, a fawn. Did we not rear thee ? An illusion to Qur'an, xxvi, 17, 6 The metre of these lines is basit. The Sirrah ! the times are false author appears to have drawn his inspiration for this maqama from Aghdni,
\L&^.
:
vii,
56,
II.
31
THE MAQAMA OF THE DATE

related to us
'f SA
IBN
HISHAM
of
and said
I
the time of the azaz date harvest, so
I was in Baghdad at went out to select and

:
buy some
the
different
kinds of
it.
proceeded a short
distance to a man who had got a stock of various sorts of fruit which he had arranged in order. He had collected and placed in rows a variety of fresh dates and I took some of the best of 1 some of the finest of every species. everything and picked Now just as I had gathered up my skirts and placed my load in them, my eyes fell upon a man who had modestly covered his 9 and was standing still with outstretched hand. face with a veil had his little ones by his side and bore his babes on his hip, He while he recited in a voice so loud that it weakened his chest and
produced feebleness in his spine I have neither two handfuls of Sawiq, 'Alas Nor melted fat mixed with flour, Nor spacious bowl filled with Khirdiq, *
: !
To soothe our palate, 5 And to remove us from
the path of beggary. Giver of plenty after poverty Make it easy for some brave and liberal man
!
Of pedigree and hereditary
glory,
To guide to us the feet of fortune And release my life from the grip of
'Isa ibn
trouble.'
gave
it
to
Hisham said him. Then he
took from
:
my
*
purse a handful and
said
'O the one

kindness
!
who hath
bestow ed
r
upon
me
his excellent
To God do 1 communicate his glorious secret, And I pray God to keep him well-guarded,
.,
C __
I
2
ij>
picked
:
Literally, I bit, or
gnawed.
veil
a thing with which a
woman
veils her face,
having
in
it
two
holes for the eyes, but here used as

3
synonymous with litham (f*^)

:
Alas
have neither two handfuls

:
Sawiq
is
a kind of gruel made mostly
of parched barley.
4
Khirdiq
Metre, rejez. a kind of broth in which bread

:
* 8
To soothe our palate
Literally, to
:
the one
who hath bestowed
is crumbled. check the onslaughts of Metre, reje*.
saliva.
32
If I
THE MAQAMAT OF BADI

have not the ability to thank him,
will surely
Then God, my Lord,

'Isa ibn
left in
recompense him.'
*
Hisham
said
So
said to him,
There
is
something
!
the purse, therefore disclose thy hidden condition and I will Then he removed his veil, 2 and lo by Heavens give thee all.' So I exclaimed it was our Shaikh, Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi
!
'
Mercy on thee, how astute thou
art
3
'
!
Then he
recited
'Spend thy life in deceiving Men and throwing dust in their eyes.
I
observe the days continue not In one state and therefore I imitate them.
One day I feel their mischief, And another they feel mine.'
III.
THE MAQAMA OF BALKH

and said
:
't si
IBN
HISHAM
to
related to us
4
Trade
in cotton stuffs
took
flush
me
5
Balkh
and
arrived there
when
was
in the first
of youth, with a mind free with the ornaments of affluence.
my
1
use the unbroken colt
from care and a body decked My only aim was to subdue to of the mind, or to capture a few stray
God my Lord
is
Then God my Lord
will surely recompense
Literally,
behind his reward.
Lithdm (f* a veil : a kind of muffler for 'covering the lower part of the face. Cf. the term mulaththamun applied to the Berber tribes of the Sahara.
3
Spend thy
life
it
in deceiving
Q>j*.
in deceiving
Literally, gilding
copper
or silver to palm
lines
:
off for gold.
The Constantinople
edition has these additional
thou
who
let
art
Thou
wilt not
greedy for gain, lying in ambush for remain for ever in this world of thine
:
it,
Therefore
little
of
it
suffice thee, or
thou wilt be a
:
toiler for
sitter.
From
1
There
is
the saying attributed to al-Nabigah many a toiler for a sitter ', Freytag, Arab' Proverbs, m
i,
544.
Metre, hezej.
Balkh The ancient Bactria or Zariaspa, and formerly called Alexandria, was once a great city, but is now, for the most part, a mass of ruins which occupy
:
a space of about twenty miles in circuit. It was at one time the] granary of Khurasan. Captured by the Arabs in the Khalifate of 'Uthman (A.D. 644-56). Yaqut,
i,
713.
First flush; Literally, virginity.
l
33
sayings
But, during
my
entire stay,
nought more eloquent

to
than
my own
words sought admission
my
ear.
Now when
separation bent, or was about to bend, its bow at us, there came 2 dress with a beard into my presence a youth in an attractive
two arteries attached to the 3 of jugular vein, and with eyes which had absorbed the waters 4 He met me with such benefaction that I the two rivers
that extended so far as to pierce the
.
proportionately increased my praise of it. Dost thou intend to go on a journey ?

'
Then he asked me
'
'
indeed.'
He
'
said,
May
!
guide not lose his
way
Yes, replied thy scout find good pasture and thy I When dost thou intend to start ?
:
'
answered,
following
:
Early to-morrow morning.'
Then he
indited
the
'May
it
be a morn divine and not a morn of departure,

5
e
The
bird auguring union, 'And not the bird of separation.'

art
Whither
He
He
'
said,
;
business
I replied To my own country.' thou going ? thou reach thy native land and accomplish thy Mayest I answered, Next year.' 7 but when dost thou return ?
' :
'
then said
8
' :
thread
Where
Mayest thou fold the robes and art thou in regard to generosity ?'
roll
I
up the
'Where thou
desirest.'
He
said, 'If
God
answered, thee back in safety bring
Ojji Stray sayings
from
o^ ^
*JJ\A
applied to
a runaway and refractory
camel, hence strange and unfamiliar words.

2
0.JJUJ*
Attractive
Literally, full of eye.

:
Had
absorbed the waters

:
They were
so liquid
and limpid,
j- O -
^>Ai;i^ The two rivers

JS
an appellation applied to the Euphrates and the
Tigris.
From
JkMj
a giver or tributary, e.g.

it.
^^\) ^
a river that has two
other rivers flowing into

5
him.
1
The bird of union The hoopoo JubJjfc being suggestive of fi^JUfc he guided See Meidam, i, 337 (Bulak-edition) and also Professor Margoliouth's
:
Letters of Abu'l 'Ala al-Ma'arri,' p. 42.

6
The bird of separation

and
i,
The raven which
is
called
is
^-5\
*^>\i the raven of

of
separation
1
See Meidani,
8
or croak appearance 337 (Bulak edition.) Metre, wafir.

:
whose
ominous
separation
A figure used by the author to express the idea of traversing safely the intervening stages to one's destination. Cf. p. 230 of the Text.
5
Next year Literally, the coming (year). Mayest thou fold the robes and roll up the thread.
34
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
from this road, bring with thee for me an enemy in the guise of a friend, in golden vein that invites to infidelity, spins on the finger, round as the disc of the sun, that lightens the burden of
debt and plays the role of the two-faced.' Said 'Isa ibn Then I knew it was a dinar that he demanded. So
'
Hisham
I
said to
him,
like
Thou
it.'
*
canst have one
down and
:
the promise of another one
He
Thy
then recited and said

is
plan
3
better than
what
asked
for,
Mayest thou continue

deeds,
to be the
worthy doer
of generous
Thy
I
branches overspreading and thy root be healthy. cannot endure the burden of gifts, Nor bear the weight of mendicity.
imagination fell short of the extent of thy generosity thy doing has exceeded my fancy. O prop of fortune and greatness May time never be bereft of thee
My
And
'
Said 'Isa ibn
Hisham
is
Then
gave him the dinar and said to

of
this
him
Where
:
the
native
soil
excellence
He
I was reared by the Quraish, and in its oases nobility was prepared for me. One of those present asked Art thou not Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi and did I not see thee in 'Iraq going
answered
about the streets begging

saying
'
:
with
letters
Then he
recited,
Verily,
God
has servants 6
7
Who
1
have adopted a manifold
existence,
The two-faced
Cf.
De
Sacy, Hariri,
1
:
i,
36.
Thy plan Mayest thou continue

is better
:
than what
to
asked for: Metre, basit.

Literally,
be
May
thy
wood be sound and thy

word
is
generosity enduring
4
figure for strength of character.

:
GJ^H
The
Begging
\>)
from
^s>
to beg.
De Sacy
says the
arabicized
from the Persian

250.)
a beggar and ^/\-^ beggary. (Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, fact that both Badi" al-Zaman and Hariri regarded the profession of
see note on the Sons of Sasan,
earlier use
begging as one of Persian origin

supports this derivation.
Dieterici's edition of
6
6
(Text p. 89)
see
seq,
word <>JL=> beggary, Philosophie der Araber, Thier und Mensch, p. 32, lines 10
of the
:
For an
With
letters
Verily
kjli.
Cf. De Sacy, Hariri, p. 76. God has servants Metre, ramal.

: :
Manifold
Literally,
mixed or mingled,
e.g.
Ldi.
^lJ
sweet
milk
mixed with sour.
AL-7AMAN AL-HAMADHAN1
In the evening they are Arabs, 1 In the morning Nabateans.'
IV.
33
THE MAQAMA OF
related
to
SIJISTAN
said
:
'Is! IBN
HISHAM
us and
2
resolution into put impelled go 3 I effect and mounted the necessary camel. sought God's which I set before me, while blessing upon my determination
to
to Sijistan.
I
me
So
A my
me
pressing
need
I I
made prudence my guide
until
it
directed
thither.
Now
arrived at the gates of the city after sunset and was, therefore, 4 obliged to pass the night on the spot. Now, when the blade of dawn was drawn, and the host
of the sun sallied forth,
a lodging. the city to
And when
its
centre,
went to the business quarter to select 5 had gone from the circumference of and walked along the circle of shops
I
1 Nabateans : A well-known Arabian people. In the time of Josephus their settlements gave the name Nabatene to the borderland between Syria and Arabia from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. Before their appearance in history, about 312 B.C., they had already some tinge of civilization. Though true Arabs they
came under the influence of Aramean culture, and Syriac was the language of their coins and inscriptions when the tribe grew into a kingdom and profited by the decay As allies of of the Selucids to extend itself over the country east of the Jordan.
the
Romans
About A.D.
105, Trajan
they continued to flourish throughout the most unwisely broke up the
first
Christian century.
Nabatean nationality.
Bib., iii, 3254-5. Sijistan : originally Sagistan, the land of the Sakas, Arabicized to Sijistan, the ancient Sacastane and the modern Seistan, the name of a district of Persia and
3
End.
was formerly called Zaranj. It formed a part of and was a great Kharijite centre. About A.D. 860, when it had undergone many changes of Government under lieutenants of the Baghdad Khalifa, or bold adventurers acting on their own account, Yaqut ibn Laith al-Saffar, made it the seat of his power. In A.D. 901, it fell under the power of the Samanids and towards the end of the century into that of the GhaznaIn Hamadhani's time Khalaf ibn Ahmad was the Amir of Sijistan (A. H. vids. 354-93) Yaqut says that when the inhabitants submitted to their Arab conquerors they stipulated that no hedgehog was to be killed. The reason assigned for this being that the country was infested with snakes and that the hedgehogs kept the number down. Every house had its liedgehog Yaqut, iii, 41. Encyclopaedia
of
its
chief town.
The
capital
the empire of the Khalifa
Britannica, xxiv, 592.

3
/ put
my
resolution into effect

i,
Literally, I
mounted the
:
intention thereof.
Cf.
De
4
Sacy, Hariri,
14.
I was obliged to pass the night on the spot night chanced where I reached.
5
Literally, the passing of the
aj)\*
circumference: Literally, a necklace.
36
till
THE MAQAMAT OF
I
BAD!'
l a loud-toned 2 voice penetrated reached the chief one, my ear. I went towards the speaker until I stood near him, and behold it was a man mounted on his horse and panting
for breath.
and was saying
He had turned the back of his head towards me He who knows me, knows me well, and he,
:
I will make myself known to him. I 4 Yemen, the much-talked-of of the age, the 5 Ask enigma of men and the puzzle of the ladies of the harem. countries and their fortresses, mountains and of me concerning their heights, valleys and their watercourses, seas and their Who has captured their walls, springs, horses and their backs.
who
does not
know me,
am
the first-fruits of
discovered the mysteries of their heights, explored their paths and penetrated into their lava hills ? Ask of kings and their
treasures, precious stones
and
their mines,
affairs
and
their
inwardness,
seized
sciences
their obscurities,
and wars and

8
their centres,
their difficult
weighty matters and situations. Who has

?
their
hoards without paying the price
Who
I
has got
?
possessions of their keys
and known the way

achieved
all
to victory
By
Heavens
it
is
who have
:
that.
have made
The chief one

which
8
is
Literally, the jewel in the
middle of a necklace and
the best thereof.
^5^** ,3^c
J^>
(.?
Loud-toned
Literally, with
something from every root,
and
3
4
therefore well nourished and strong.
Panting for breath Literally, choking himself. The first-fruits of Yemen : Here Abu'1-Fath begins
:
to enigmatically refer
to his
name.
The
fruit of the tree

it is
-3
nab' a resembling that of the pistachia

OG-
terebinthus, except that
red, sweet
and round,
is
called
^-xi
Path.
It is also
Islam of the people of Yemen. The name of the first envoy that came from Yemen to visit the Prophet is said to have been Abu'1-Fath. Al-Fath means the opening, beginning, victory.
an allusion
to the early conversion to
J^*aa^
vl?bj
Ladies of the harem
JUs*-
pi, of
^.a. a kind
of curtained
canopy, or tent, or chamber for a bride. For courteous phrases for ladies, see Jahiz,
Haywdn,
v.
103-110.
Precious stones and their mines former gives the required sense.
-
have read
^^\
instead of
^^\
as the
O C
(.^M
Inwardness
}&>
From ^Lj
the abdomen.
Hence the
interior of anything.
e..
g.,
(J&
&*
:
& J^
To every verse thereof is an
apparent
(lit.
back)
sense and a sense requiring development,

8
Their keys
i.e.
the keys of the positions.
peace between powerful kings dark difficulties. By Heavens
1
37
of
and disclosed the mysteries

!
have been even
in
the place
where lovers are overthrown.
have even been
afflicted
with
2
I sickness, even the sickness caused by the languishing eye. have embraced supple forms, 3 and plucked the rose from the crimson cheeks. Yet, with all this, I have fled from the world
as a generous nature flees

recoiled
from the faces of the base. I have from despicable things as a noble ear recoils from
But,
obscene language.
resolved
to
now
of old
that the
dawned, and the dignity
morn of hoariness has age has come upon me, I have
world and
my journey to the next have not perceived any way better to right guidance, than that which I am treading. One of you will observe me
provision for
I
make wise
riding a horse
and speaking
5
',
at
random
and
'
say,
this is
the
Father of Wonder
which
have both
I
nay, but I am indeed the Father of Wonders, seen and experienced, and the Mother of
I
Enormities which
difficulty
have estimated and endured.

6
have with
cast
obtained the keys of treasures and then have lightly them aside. I have bought dear and sold cheap. I have, by Heavens joined their pageants and jostled against shoulders. 7 I have watched the stars and ridden the flesh off my mounts,
!
have been obliged to engage in dangerous enterprises vowing not to withhold from the Muslims the benefits accruing thereI
from.
Now
to yours
mine.
I must transfer the cord of this trust from my neck and offer for sale in your streets this medicine of Let him buy from me who shrinks not from the place
~
pi.
5,.
Powerful kings
by reason
*#&}
of
Ju-<^
man
unable to look aside
of disease, probably a crick in the neck,
and hence a king, who by reason
of pride, does not turn his head to the right or left. = lion = strong. Cf. Arab Proverbs, greatest hunter
i,
i,
But more probably J^>\ = 748. See also Buhturf,
224.
2
^JttJi
Eyes
.'
pi. of
&iJ^ Literally, the black of the eye and then the eye
branches a very
;
absolutely.
3
Supple forms
Literally, pliant
common
figure for a flexible
form.
4
<j-y&
5
yU Speaking
at
random
:
ytf
opposed to
in all senses.
'ffe>
ii,
The Father of Wonder

For
/
,3&fcS^
Cf,
H. De Sacy, Hariri,
571.
6
7
again read
j&c^
:
precious things, or treasures.
have watched the stars
waited for their disappearance at dawn.
38
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

l
where God's servants stand, nor from the formula of unity. let him who is of proud pedigree and good breeding 2 Said 'Isa ibn Hisham I went round in preserve the remedy. front of him that I might learn who he was, and by Heavens it was our Shaikh Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi. So I waited for the 3 crowd to disperse from before him, and then addressing him I asked How big an opening will this nostrum of thine want ? He answered, Thy purse will open as much as thou 4 I then left him and departed. desirest.'
And
'
'
'
V.
THE MAQAMA OF KUFA

and
said
:
'ISA IBN
HISHAM
related to us
When
was
in
my
young days, I rode my mount into every species of blind folly and urged my courser into every kind of error until I had drunk of life a delicious draft and had donned the flowing robes of fortune. But when the day brightened 5 my night and I gathered 6 up my skirts and prepared for the final judgement, I mounted a tame steed 7 in order to discharge a bounden duty. 8 There accompanied me on the road a friend in whom I saw nothing wrong to make me repudiate him. Now, when we had exchanged confessions and confidences, the story revealed that he was a Kufan by principle and a Sufi by persuasion, 9 and so we travelled
on.
Now, when we
1
alighted at Kufa,
:
10
we went
to his
house and
Of proud pedigree
fioyi yfe\JaM
Literally,
whose grandfathers are noble.

:
UJk ô.^ Good breeding
Literally,
whose wood has been
irri-
gated with pure water.
The crowd
Paris
to disperse
Literally, until the ostrich fled.
The
ii,
MS. has
\A
'
*U which
yields
a better
sense.
Cf.
De
Sacy, Hariri,
431 &^*C*1
4
He
finished his work.'
This
maqama
lacks the
usual
concluding lines of poetry and ends very
abruptly.
Day brightened : Fig. for had turned grey. / gathered up my skirts : Fig. for preparing to do something. take off one's coat, or to tuck up one's sleeves.
5 6
Cf. Eng. to
tame, steed
Literally,
:
broken
in.
bounden duty i.e. the Pilgrimage. See Qur'an, iii, 91. 9 A Sufi by persuasion A Sufi is naturally known by his dress. 10 Kufa : Founded by the Arabs in A.H. 17 or 18 in the Khalifate of 'Umar. It was one of the chief seats of Arabian learning and was long the rival of the great
8 A.
:
grammatical school of Basra.
entered
it,
39
l
and its the face of day had become sombre darkened. 2 Then, when the eye of the night had drooped, cheeks and the dawn on its lip had sprouted, there was a knock at the
when
door. 3
*
We asked, What wanderer is knocking

'
'
He
answered
messenger, the defeated and hunted of hunger, a well-bred personage in the leash of misfortune and 4 bad times a guest, whose tread is light and whose stray 5 is
of night
The envoy
;
and
its
a loaf
who asks aid against hunger and a patched smock an exile after whose departure the fire of banishment 6 was kindled, in whose wake the howling dogs have barked, after whom pebbles were cast and the areas swept. 7 His jaded camel his pleasure is affliction, and between him and his is fatigue two chicks is a vast desert.' Said 'Isa ibn Hisham I took from 8 my purse the lion's share, passed it to him and said, Increase He replied, thy demands and we will increase our gifts to thee.'
;
a neighbour
No
fire
so hot to cause aloeswood to diffuse
its
fragrance as
that of generosity, and the envoy of benevolence is met by no one better than the messenger of gratitude. Therefore, whoever
possesses plenty,
let
unrewarded
by God and man.
him do good, for generosity will not pass But as for thee, may God cause
resort of the pious
Kufa and Basra were the
and
of the adventurer, the centres
of religious and political movements. 'Alf is said to have called the former, the treasure-house of the Faith
and the
proof of Islam.
1
The face of day had become sombre

5C-
Literally, the face of
day was covered
with vegetation. Jjb.

3 Darkened : Literally became green, both of these and the succeeding expressions are figures for the growing of a beard and here, metaphorically, signify it be-
came dark
3
4
5
There was a knock at the door : Cf. De Sacy, Hariri, i. 50. Whose tread is light : i.e. one who will cause little inconvenience.
&JU whose
stray
Literally, a stray camel.

:
The fire of banishment
(jjyTj)
(Cf.
Hamadhanfs
Letters,
No. 128,
p.
352), or the fire of departure was a solemn cursing of a man by his enemy when he The fire was lighted, and the ill-wisher exclaimed 'Away set out on a journey. For the names of the various fires of the Arabs, see Jahiz, Hay wan begone
!
'
Part v.
And
8 9
the areas were swept

lion's share
:
As
is
done
after a death has occurred.
The
Literally, the grasp of the lion.
lines of
Generosity will not pass unrewarded, etc. This is a quotation from the Hutai'ah who was a contemporary of the Prophet
:
40
THE MAQAMAT OF
:
BAD!'
thee to realise thy hopes and give thee the supreme hand.' l Said Then we opened the door for him and said 'Isa ibn Hisham
'
Enter
'
Iskanderi
and lo So I
!
by Heavens,
said
' : *
was our Shaikh Abu'1-Fath alDistressing is the extreme poverty which

it
thou hast reached and this aspect especially.'
Then he
smiled,
and
indited, saying
f
Let not
my demanding
am
in a state of affluence
deceive thee, 2 so great that the pocket of

3
joy would tear,

I
could,
if I
wished, have ceilings of gold.'
VI.
THE MAQAMA OF THE LION

related to us
:
me
and said There used to reach and sayings of al-Iskanderi 4 such as would maqamat Poems of his have arrest the fugitive and agitate the sparrow. been recited to us whose refinement pervades the soul in all its parts, and whose subtlety is hidden from the imaginations of the 5 And I pray God to spare him so that I may meet him wizards.
'ISA IBN
of the
HISHAM
and marvel
'
at his indifference
to his condition in spite of his art
Whosoever doeth good will not lose his reward. For generosity will not go That is to say, if man does not reward, God will. unrewarded by God and man. The Arabs believed this to be a quotation from the Taurat. Aghdni, ii, 48 and
1
Goldziher's edition of Hutai'ah's poems.
The supreme hand

Cf the rabbinical maxim
. :
Here used
in
the sense of the upper, or giving
hand, as opposed to the lower, or receiving hand.
navbrn bs
'
IT*
ITO *pD
Yellow
',
nttf
^ bD
hand
is
Whoever has money
(silver)
in his hand, his
supreme.
See
note on Ci*U ilj\ in the

8
8
maqama
of the
Text
p. 230.
am
in
Ceilings of gold
state of affluence : Metre, khafif. : A boast rather inconsistent with his actual condition.
'
The
Constantinople edition has this additional other times an Arab.'
line.
Sometimes
am
a Nabatean at
This
4
maqama is identical in name and theme with Hariri v, 49. The Maqamat of al-Iskanderi. The first example of the use
the author.
&''Q?-*\\
of the
word
Maqamat by
6
Wizards:
pi. of (^>V^r>
Heb.
7^3
a priest in a degraded sense.
In the time of the Prophet it meant a fortune-teller, an interpreter of dreams, etc. See Qur'an, Hi, 29 and Ixix, 42. This is a word whose origin is not known. 6 His indifference, etc : Literally, the sitting down of his resolution with his
state.
l
41
and fortune. Fortune had made her benefits remote by placing barriers between him and them and continued so to do till I 2 So I sharpened my happened to have some business in Hims. greediness of desire to go thither in the company of some individuals, brilliant as the stars of night, and like saddle-cloths We started on the road cleaving to the backs of the horses. 3 and annihilating its space, and we its distance eliminating continued to traverse the humps of the uplands, mounted upon those noble steeds, until they became as lean as walking-sticks and were bent like bows. Now we were fated to pass a valley along the base of a mountain covered with ala and tamarisk thickets which looked like maidens with their flowing tresses and suspended locks. 4 The fierce noonday heat turned us We had thither to seek a sheltered spot and a midday nap. and had addressed ourselves to sleep with tethered our horses
the sleepers, when suddenly the neighing of the horses startled us. And I looked towards my steed and behold he had cocked
he was glaring with his eyes, gnawing the strands of the rope with his lips, and scoring the surface of the ground with his hoofs. Then the horses stampeded, 5 staled, broke the
his ears,
ropes and
his
made for the mountains. Every one of us flew 6 weapons when lo there appeared a lion, in the garb
!
to of
doom, ascending from his lair, with inflated skin, showing his teeth, with an eye full of arrogance, a nose distended with 8 never departed and pride, and a breast from which courage
wherein terror never dwelt.
and an anxious business.'
This is a serious matter There advanced to meet him from

said
:
We
among
1
the impetuous of the party a youth,

benefits
:
Her
Literally, her affairs, or business.

:
Hints (Emessa)
well-known
city situated
half-way between Damascus and
Aleppo.
army
3
4
inhabitants of this city were 'All's stoutest opponents in Mu'awiya's in the battle of Siffm (A.D. 657). Yaqut, ii, 334.
its
The
Eliminating ^ ^
_,
distance
Literally! plundering its distance.
53
y^jk*J\ j
yU^
:
Locks and tresses
J
:
y)Jk
are said to pertain to
women and
y\I2 to men.
6
Stampeded
&jji
Literally,
became
agitated.
garb
applied to a'garment
when
it is
furred, a well-known kind of gar-
ment
7
8
for preservation
from the cold.

:
With
inflated skin
Literally, inflated in his skin.
courage
Literally, the heart.
42
*
THE MAQAMAT OF
Tawny
of skin
l
BADI'
of the family that comprises the nobility
of the Arabs,
Who
with
fills
his bucket full to the knot of the rope that ties
the middle of the cross-bars,' a heart urged on by doom, and an all-effective sword, but the fierceness of the lion took possession of him and the
ground cheated his
feet so that
he
fell
on his hands and

his
falling
face.
The
lion then crossed
over
the
place of
in
the
direction of those
who were with

in
him.
Then death summoned

manner.
the
the fallen one's
fellow
the same
to
He
advanced,
lion
but terror tied
his hands, he fell
earth and the
crouched
on his chest. But I threw my turban at him and diverted his mouth and thus prevented the shedding of the Then the young man arose and slashed at his youth's blood. stomach until he collapsed with fright and the lion died of the wounds in his stomach. We then went after the horses, found such as had halted, abandoned such as had bolted, and returned to the dead friend to perform the last rites When we had poured the earth upon our late fellow-traveller we were 3 grieved, aye and what an hour of grief it was.' Then we turned again towards the desert and entered it.
'
!
We
the provision bag contracted and supplies were well nigh exhausted. could neither advance nor retreat, and we dreaded the two slayers, thirst and hunger, when a
journeyed on
till
We
horseman came
in sight.
We
went towards him and moved
Tawny
of skin, etc.
Metre, ramal.
^J
'And
I
am
'
the tawny
and who knows
me ?
The tawny
Arabs.
of skin (of pure race) of the family that comprises the nobility of the
contends for superiority (literally vies with me in filling buckets) with me, contends with one possessing glory. Who fills the bucket up to the tying of the rope attached to the middle of its
'
He who
crossbars.'
These verses are by al-Fadl Ibn 'Abbas al-Lahabi, Aghdni, was a contemporary of Farazdaq (d. 170), Aghdni, xv, 2-11.
8
xiv, 171.
This poet
Crouched, etc. Literally, made his chest a bed. Aye and what an hour of grief it was! Metre,
:
tawil.
Cf. the line of
Ka'ah,
Hamasah
(Freytag), p. 95, line 3.
in his direction.
43
When we
the
reached him, he alighted from his
noble
steed,
kissed
ground
He
then came towards me, to
prostrated himself. the exclusion of the company,
and
kissed
!
my
and lo and a goodly

*
and sought shelter at my side. I beheld a face that shone like the sheen of the rain-cloud,
stirrup
stature,
4
When
the
beholder's
feet,
all
eye
ascends
to
his
head and
descends to his
It is
unable to take in
his beauties,'
down had appeared and a moustache had just sprouted a plump forearm, a supple and slim 5 His origin was Turkish 6 and his dress royal. 7 We body.
a cheek upon which the
that
;
said
' :
Perish thy father

'
'
!
What
has happened to thee

of
I
He
replied
am
the servant
kill
determined attempt to
me, and so
king ran away,

said
* : '
who made
I
knew not
I
whither, as you see me now.' to the truth of his statement.
Now
is
his appearance bore witness
Then he
thine
' !
To-day
am
thy servant and what

for both of us.
is
mine
said,
Good
tidings
Thy
journey has brought thee to a spacious
court and fresh delight.'
The company congratulated me, and

The
adjective
is
His noble steed

noun.
3 3
*
placed before instead of after the
Kissed the ground : Literally, he engraved the ground with his lips. Prostrated himself : Literally, he met the ground with both his hands.
(f+id]
line 69.
55
->
j|jU ^z* When the eye ascends: A quotation from Imral Qais, p. Lyall's edition of the Mu'allaqdt. The text is wrongly vocalized for
:
25,
jy
read
5
0Uj
i
s-*.s-a*
a branch cut
off
supple and slim body and hence a rod.

:
Literally, a well-irrigated
branch
His origin was Turkish
Probably an allusion to the

*
line.
'Verily
Yemak hath
For every immigrant

7
(by his death) left in my entrails an affection, of Turkish origin,' Mutanabbi, p. 467.
^Û
angelic, should be vocalized

:
â.^*
royal.
Perish thy father
Literally, thou hast no father.
playful term of impre-
cation expressive, of surprise or admiration.
phrase unworthy of elucidation.

concerning anything that
249.)
sions, see
is
He
explains,
it
Al-Hamadhani did not think this the Arabs say thou hast no father
'
perfect, but
For the explanation
of the use of the accusative in this

ii,
depends upon who says it.' (Letters, p. and similar expres-
Wright's Arabic Grammar,
94-5.
44
THE MAQAMAT OF
;
'
:
BAD!'
he began to look and his glances smote us he commenced to He said O masters speak and his words fascinated us. at the base of this mountain there is a spring and ye have
!
l so take some water from there.' entered a waterless desert, So we turned rein in the direction he indicated and we
arrived
there.
The noonday
had mounted
'
heat
the
had
trees.
melted
2
our
said
:
bodies
'
and the
locusts
He
Will
As thou wilt.' He then dismounted from his horse, undid his belt, removed his 3 tunic so that nothing concealed him from us, except a thin undergarment which did but reveal his body. We doubted not but that he had quarrelled with the ministering angels, 4 evaded the heavenly guards, and fled from the guardian of Paradise. He betook himself to the saddles and removed them, to the 5 and to the resting-places and sprinkled horses and fed them, them with water. Men's perception was bewildered at him, and So I said O young man, how their eyes were fixed upon him. courteous thou art in service and how generally useful Therefore woe to him whom thou hast forsaken, and blessed is he with whom thou hast become friendly How is it possible to thank He said That which you God for His favour through thee ? Do my activity in will soon see from me will be even greater. What if ye were service and my general comeliness please you ? It to see me in company, showing some portion of my skill ? 6 for me.' We said Go on would increase your admiration
' :
you not take the noonday nap beneath said and near this fresh water ?
this spacious
shade,
We
'
'
'
'
'
Then he took one

put
it
of our bows, strung

it
it,
braced the bow-string,
into the notch, and shot
up towards the sky and then
Waterless desert
3
Literally, a blind desert, with
no
&&
eye, or spring.
The locusts had mounted the
trees
They were rendered
active
by the
intense heat.
8
!i
J a
tunic, waistcoat or jacket, arabicized from the Persian

:
6S^
who were
:
CJUÎ ministering angels
Probably 0q$\ a species of angels
the guardians of the earth, and of the gardens of Paradise (See Lane, art
p. 462).
5
^
sup-
VjJUj Fed them

tax*.
Literally, foddered
them.
is
admiration
from
iu*
the pericardium and then love which
posed to tear the pericardium.
followed
'
45
:
up with another and split it in the air. Then he said He then made for my quiver I will show you another trick.' and seized it, went towards my horse and mounted it, and shot one of our number with an arrow which he fixed in his chest, and then a second one which he shot through his back. I cried He retorted Silence, out Sirrah what art thou doing ?
it
' '
'
scoundrel hands, or
By
will
heavens, every one of you shall bind his fellow's make his spittle to choke him.' Now with our
horses tied up, our saddles
mounted and we on
loss
foot,
our arms beyond our reach, he his bow in his hand ready to shoot us
off,
in the back, or to pierce
what
to do.
our abdomens and chests, we were at a when we saw his seriousness, we seized But,
'
'
I alone remained with no the thong and bound one another. l and I So he said to me one to tie my hands. Strip Then he got down from the horse and began to slap stripped. each of us, one after the other, and to take off his clothes, and Now I had on a pair of new boots and finally he came to me.
:
!
I replied Perish thy mother take them off I put these boots on when the hide was raw and, therefore, I Then I will take them off.' He said cannot remove them.'
so he said to
*
me
'
'
'
he drew near to
seize a knife
me
to
I
which
remove them, and I stretched my hand to had concealed in one boot while he was
engaged removing the other. I plunged the knife into his abdomen with such force, that I caused it to appear behind his 2 and then bit the dust. 3 Then back, and he uttered but one cry And I arose, went to my companions and untied their hands. we then divided the spoils 4 obtained from the two dead men. We found our friend had given up the ghost and so we buried
Then we continued our journey and arrived at Hims Now when we reached an open nights' travelling. in the market, we saw a man with a wallet and a small space
him. 5
after
five
walking-stick in his hand, standing in front of his son and
little
daughter, and he was saying

1
2 3
He He
Strip : Literally, come out with thy skin from thy clothes. uttered but one cry : Literally, he only opened his mouth.
bit the
dust
Literally,
.
put the stone in his mouth.
Another reading
8^,1 &A*a^ I silenced him. Cf Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 120. 4 We divided the spoils : A rather unworthy manner of disposing of their
dead friend's property. 5 We buried him : Literally, he went
to his
tomb.
46
'
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

God
bless
him who
is
fills
my
wallet
with his generous
gifts,
God
bless
him who
moved
your
to pity for Sa'id
Verily he will be maid-servant.'
male-servant
and Fatimah, and she your
Said 'Isa ibn Hisham
This
man
is
surely al-Iskanderi of
;
whom
'
have heard, and regarding whom I have been asking and behold it was he 2 So I gently approached him and said
I
!
Command what
'
is
thine.'
He
replied
3
'A dirhem.'
said
Thou canst have a dirhem multiplied by its As long as I live. So make up thy account and ask In order that I may give what is demanded.'
like
And
said to
five, until I
dinar into two, into three, into four, into reached twenty.' Then I said How much dost
:
him
'
'
So I comtwenty loaves.' manded that amount to be given him and said Nought avails 5 without God's help and there is no device against ill-fatedness.'
it ?
:
thou make
He answered
'
'
VII.
THE MAQAMA OF GHAILAN

related to
'Isi IBN
HISHAM
me and
said
*
:
While we were
at
Jurjan
1
in
a meeting-place of ours discussing, there was with us
God
jt>
bless
yfc
\
JU 'And behold
ft
him who fills my wallets, it was he !
etc.
Metre, khafif.
_
'
There was a controversy between the

55
-
schools of Basra and Kufa as to whether this phrase or aV\
ys>
jU And behold
it
was him was right. The Basrians held that the former, the one used by alHamadhani, was correct. This phrase would call to mind the dispute originated by Sibawayh, the greatest of grammarians, in the time of the Khalifa Harun alRashid (Yaqut, Dictionary of Learned Men, vi, 83). Cf. English, It is me, and
the French, c'est moi.
Thou canst have a dirhem. Metre, kdmil. Twenty loaves very defective arithmetic which evokes a well-merited buke from 'Isa ibn Hisham in the concluding sentences of the Maqama.
3
4
:
re-
5
6
03 J^ Without God's
help
See Qur'an,
iii,
154.
Abu'l-Harith Ghailan Ibn 'Uqba Ibn Buhaish, generally known by the surname of Dhu'l-Rumma (the old-rope man) is regarded as the last of the Bedawin He died in A.H. 117 (A.D. 735-6) and was therefore a contemporary of poets. Jarir and Farazdaq, see Ibn Khallikan, ii, 447, and Ibn Qutaiba, Kitdb al-Sh'ir
wa'l-Shu'ard
publishing for the
(The University Press of Cambridge is p. 333. time an edition of this poet's work. The editor is Mr. C. H. H. Macartney of Clare College, Cambridge.)
(De Geoje),
first
that chief scholar
47
and narrator of the Arabs, 'Ismat ibn Badr,

finally led us to discuss those
the Fazarite
'.*
The conversation
who pardon
and
enemies out of gentleness and those who forgive them out of contempt, till we mentioned As-Salatan, al-'Abdi, 2
their
3
al-Ba'ith,
and the contempt of Jarir and al-Farazdaq

:
for
them.
and not what
'I will relate to you what mine eyes have seen have got from another. When I was journeying in the country of Tamim, mounted on a noble camel and leading a spare mount, there appeared before me a rider on a dusky He continued to advance camel, frothing thickly at the mouth. " towards me till our bodies collided, 4 when he shouted Peace
Said 'Ismat
I
be unto you
"
!
I said,
!
"
And upon
is
?
blessing of God the salutation of Islam
Who
"
:
thee peace and the mercy and the loud-voiced rider who salutes with
"
He
answered
"
:
am
:
Ghailan, ibn
Welcome to him of fair renown and famous 'Uqba." So I said He replied " Broad be lineage whose diction is well-known." thy valley and powerful thy associates but who art thou ?
!
answered,
"
am
'Ismat ibn Badr, the Fazarite."
He
said,
"
May God
prolong
thy
"
!
life
What an
5
excellent
friend,
associate
and companion we had journeyed on
Then we
till
we
said
1
not take a nap,

"
:
for
he said noon, the sun has melted
travelled together. "

:
When
Ismat, shall our brain ? I

direction
As thou
wilt."
Se we moved
:
in
the
of
'Ismat ibn Badr the Fazarite
with
194).
2
Abu
'Abdu'llah
Among those
I think this character may be identified Marwan ibn Mu'awiyah ibn Badr al-Fazari (d. 193 or A.H. who learned traditions from him was Ibn Hanbal (A.H. 164-241)
p. 427, Gibb Memorial Series. As-Salatan, al-'Abdi was a contemporary of al-Farazdaq and Jarir as the 'When as-Salatan, al-'Abdi pronounced al-Farazdaq following incident shows superior to Jarir in point of lineage, and Jarir superior to al-Farazdaq as poet, Jarir
:
Ansab of al-Sam'dni,
reported with this proverb
When was
God's wisdom
;
in
husbandmen and possessors
of
palm
trees
'
The point of this lies in (Freytag, Arab Proverb, ii, 628 Lane, p. 2602 art v;-^). the fact that the region of as-Salatan's tribe abounded in palm trees.
3
Al-Ba'ith
a contemporary of Jarir.
He was
one of those
who had
the
temerity to satire the great poet's tribe, the Kulayb. 4 Bodies collided : Literally, form with form.
Aghdni,
vii,
41.
We journeyed
cest.
on
till
morn
From fiVA noon when the
heat
is fier-
48
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

trees as
T
with their hair though they were maidens down, displaying their charms, and to a collection of tamarisk Then we unsaddled and partook of some trees opposite to them.
some dla
food.
Now Dhu'l-Rumma was

Then each of us betook
a small eater.
After that
we
prayed.
tree,
himself to the shade of a tamarisk
Dhu'l-Rumma lay intending to take the noonday nap. down and I desired to do as he did. So I lay on my back, but no sleep took possession of my eyes. I looked and saw a short
distance of a large-humped camel, jaded by the sun, with her off, and behold a man like a hireling, or slave was
saddle thrown
But I turned away from them, for what standing guarding her. had I to do with enquiring about that which did not concern me ?
Dhu'l-Rumma
this
slept for a little

3
while and then awoke.
Now
was
"
in the
days of his satirizing the tribe of
Murri, so he
raised his voice,
and recited saying

4
Are the traces of Maiya to be found on the obliterated surface of the sand dune
?
Which
the gale has persistently covered up Nought remains but a battered tent-peg,
a fireplace without a fire-taker,
And
A
1
cistern with both sides broken,
As though
they were
:
maidens
Cf Text,
.
p. 26.
A
is little
little
Literally,
paucity of milk of a camel and then applied to

it is
paucity of sleep in which latter sense

sleep
used by al-Farazdaq,
j\j
:
($*
8J\Ji
Their
a7J
(Lane, p. 2239, art
^^)
Cf.
Arab Proverbs,
i,
613
His abundant milk flow preceded his paucity thereof.

3
tfjsAz
*>
He
raised his voice
Perhaps originally connected with Heb.
"Hp*
For similar examples of transposition Cf. Arabic
= Heb.
:
^P*"
>
Arabic
bitter satire
In the days of his satirizing the tribe of Murri The occasion of this was the inhospitable treatment of Dhu'l-Rumma by Hisham al-Murr'i
See Aghdni,
vii,
at the village at Mar'at.
57.
Are the traces of Maiya to be found. beloved of Dhu'l-Rumma whose beauty he

Qutaibas Sh'ir
Metre, mutaqdrib.
Maiya
The
wa
Diwan,
to
whose courtesy
'
Shu'ara, p. 334. I am indebted for
often extolled in his poems, see Ibn Mr. Macartney, the editor of Dhu'l-Rumma's
much
useful information regarding this
poet, says, although these verses put into the mouth of Dhu'l-Rumma in the MSS. of the Diwan, still they have a genuine ring and the ideas
do not exist have their
correspondences in the Diwan,
And an assembly whose
effaced.
49
traces have been
removed and
But
remember it with its inhabitants, Maiya and the sociable friend.

I
My
relations with
Maiya were
like those of
one
;
who
l
scares,
Gazelles
when
would
When
a sulkyfaced watcher, her guardian and keeper. There will soon reach Imr al-Qais * a widely circulated
I
they appear to him at the come to her, there turned
dawn
me away
poem Which traveller and stay-at-home
will sing.
Dost thou not see that to Imr al-Qais Clings his chronic complaint ?
They
But In eminence no knight have they, in war no horseman. Besmeared and saturated are they in the cisterns
reproach,
are a people insensible to satire, can the dry stone feel pain ? 3
of
As the hide
is
When men
deeds,
look to
saturated by the tanner. them for the performance of generous

their eyes.
4
Downcast and heavy are
The And
noble abhor marrying their women,

therefore
all their
spinsters
remain old maids."
dawn
*
Literally, the sneezer

:
also a gazelle
a branch of the
Soon there will reach Imr al-Qais This refers Tamfm descended from Imr al-Qais ibn Sa'ad ibn Manat ibn Tamfm,
coming before one. to the tribe of Imr al-Qais,
to the poet of the tribe of Kindeh. This Qasfda begins with the conventional erotic prologue over the deserted encampment of the beloved, a prelude which was condemned in the poet's own day. It is related that, as Dhu al-Rumma was reciting his verses in the camel market, he
and not
'Well, Abu Firas what dost thou stopped to hear him What thou hast ? Al-Farazdaq replied uttered is really admirable.' 'Why then ', said the other, 'is my name not mention'Thou hast been prevented from attaining ed with those of the first-rate poets ? their eminence answered al-Farazdaq by thy lamentations over dunghills, and thy
said to al-Farazdaq
who
think of that which thou hast heard
'
'
'
'
'
descriptions of the excrements of cattle

8
and
their pinfolds.'
Ibn Khallikan,
9- -
ii,
447.
C
-.
the
Can name
.._
the dry stone feel pain of the tribal ancestor.
rather poor
pun on ^^- a stone and

Another reading
)+<*-
(*^)
Spinsters
pi.
of
Of ^\
a spinster or a widow.
.. a ^jfeL-J
their
women.
7
50
THE MAQAMAT OF
:
BAD!'
When he got as far as this verse, the sleeper awoke, began to rub his eyes and to say " Does little Dhu al-Rumma l deprive me of sleep with an incorrect 2 and unpopular poem ? " I said
:
"
who is this ? " He replied Dhu al-Rumma w axed hot and said " As for the base men of Majash'a
Ghailan,
"
"
al-Farazdaq
s
Then
Never has the thunder-cloud watered their pastures. Soon they will be fettered and restrained from noble
enterprises,
And
Then
I
the restrainer shall restrain them " said Now he will choke and fret and thoroughly lam!
"
poon him and his tribe." " Fie on thee little But by Heavens al-Farazdaq only said Dhu al-Rumma dost thou oppose one like me with stolen " 4 verses ? Then he went to sleep again, as though he had not heard anything. Dhu al-Rumma went away and I went with him, and verily I perceived in him humiliation until we parted.'
!
VIII.
THE MAQAMA OF ADHARBAYJAN

:
SAID 'Is! IBN HISHAM

flowing robe,
I I
When
5
wealth
girded
me
with
its
was suspected
of being possessed of property that
had
stolen, or of a treasure
of the night urged
In
my flight
I had found, so the darkness and the horse carried me away. traversed paths that had never been trodden before,
that
me
to flee,
and where a bird could not
find its way, until I passed through the land of terror, crossed its frontiers, entered the protected domain of safety, and there found tranquility. I arrived at
Adharbayjan
1
and
verily the camel's feet

diminutive
is
were abraded and the

*
Little
Dhu al-Rumma: The

:
used to express contempt.

lit,
*-.. * _
2
cJULU )*& incorrect

even.
Literally crooked,
from c_&JU
a spear straightened
or
made
3
And
the base
men
of Majdsh'a
Metre mutaqdrib ; Majdsh'a

:
The name
of one of al-Farazdaq 's ancestors. * Stolen verses. This was no libel
Dhu al-Rumma was
notorious for appro-
priating the verses of others, See Ibn Qutaiba, Sh'ir wa'l Shu'ard, p. 338. / This was not the only rebuke administered to Dhual-Rumma by al-Farazdaq.
See note on the condemnation of the conventional prelude,

*
fl
p. 49,
supra.
v*-^3
a treasure
Adharbayjan:
property buried in the earth. The Atropatene of the ancients the north-western and most
It
important province of Persia.

A.H. 20.;
was conquered by the Arabs under al-Mughfra
in
stages travelled
'
51
had consumed
their flesh.
And when
I
1
reached
it,
alighted intending the stay to be three days, But it was so pleasant to us that we stopped there a month.'
We
one day while I was in one of its streets, there suddenly appeared a man with a small drinking-vessel which he had placed under his arm, with a walking-stick with which he supported 2 which he had donned, 3 and a himself, with a tall round cap
Now
He raised his voice and which he had put on. 5 O God who createth things and causeth them to return said again, the quickener of bones and the destroyer of them, the Creator of the sun and who causeth it to revolve the Maker of 6 and its Illuminator, who sendeth us the dawn to appear 8 7 bounteous benefits and upholdeth the heavens that they fall 9 who hath not upon us the Creator of souls, male and female ll 12 10 made the sun for a light, the firmament for a roof and the
4
waist-wrapper
' :
We
alighted intending the stay to be three days

_S5 -o
S3
:
This
is
an allusion
to the
i,
Tradition
177.
*
A^\> <Jou*aJ\
y\ Hospitality
is
for three days, see
De
Sacy, Hariri,
Metre tdwil.
<LJj Tall
round cap
The kind
of head-dress called
Qalansuwah
of
Qaî
3
said to be like a
Vg^Jifl?
^J
a wine- jar, because high and round.
donned, the
S~l^
was worn by the 'Abbasid

in Syria.
6
* j
Khalifas, their ministers, and the Qadis,
a kind of head-dress which, according to Dozy, and is still used
of striped Indian cloth unsewn. The commentator says it is arabicized from a Sindhi word. Cf. the mediaeval Latin Calantica, tegumentum capitis ad usum mulierum. A covering for the head of women, a kind of veil.
<&y a waist-wrapper, a kind
(jJIsS
He had put on
.
cloak or mantle.
Literally, he attired himself with a Tailisan, a Cf Hebrew fpbtO a cover or cloak similar to the Roman pal:
lium, especially the Talith the cloak of honour, the scholar or officer's distinction, adorned with fringes. Also the cloak of the leader in prayer (Jastrow, Dictionary
of the Targum,
men
It is still worn by many of the professional and learned p. 537). Muslim countries. 6 The Maker of the dawn to appear Qur'an, vi, 96. 7 Bounteous An allusion to Qur'an, xxxi, 19, benefits 8 Who upholdeth the heavens Qur'an, xxii, 64. 9 Male and female Literally, in pairs. 10 The sun eV~o*N Literally, a lamp or its lighted wick. The latter is the
in
proper, though not the

xxiv, 35.
II
more usual meaning, and
is
the one intended in Qur'an,
Who
gU
chiragh.
12
: An allusion to Qur'an, Ixxi, 15. a lamp, apparently arabicized from the Syriac Shirdgd, Persian Light,
hath made the sun for a light
The firmament for a roof
An
allusion to Qur'an, xxi, 33.
52
earth as a carpet the day for labour
;
THE MAQAMAT OF
l
;
BADI'
2
sendeth in
who hath ordained the night for rest and 3 who formeth the pregnant clouds, 4 and who knoweth what is vengeance the thunderbolts
5
;
above the stars and what

earth,
I
is
beneath the uttermost parts of the
beseech Thee to send
Thy
blessings
upon Muhammad,
the chief of the prophets, and upon his holy family, and that Thou wilt aid me against exile, that I may rein her round 6
homeward
and against hardship that I may be delivered from its depressing shade, and that Thou wilt make it easy for me to 7 obtain at the hands of one of pious nature and pure origin,
;
blessed with true religion, who is not blind to manifest truth, a camel to traverse this road, provision to suffice me and a Said 'Isa ibn Hisham, I whispered to travelling companion.'
more eloquent than our al-Iskanderi, Abu'lThen I turned a glance upon him and lo, by Heavens it Fath O Abu'1-Fath has thy mischief was Abu'1-Fath So I said reached this land and thy hunting for game extended to this
'
myself,
'
!
This
man
!
is
'
tribe
'
?
'
Then he
indited saying
am
And
I
a mighty wanderer over the countries, a great traverser of the horizons. the toy of time,
9
10
am
And am
continually on the road.
3
*
6
The earth as a carpet an Illusion to Qur'an, ii, 20. The night for rest an allusion to Qur'an, vi, 96. The day for labour: an allusion to Qur'dn, Ixxviii. 11. Who formeth the pregnant clouds an allusion to Qur'an,
:
xiii,
13.
xiii,
sendeth in vengeance the thunderbolts : an allusion to Qur'an, This prayer is composed in the style of Qur'an, Ixxi, 13-19. 8 / may rein her round : Literally, I may turn her rope.
7
: hath raised him. S^yT lx*l\ Of pure origin Literally, purity am a mighty wanderer : Metre, Khafif.
:
And
14.
8
9
O^Jh*. Toy
A
it
kind of whirling plaything which a boy turns round by means

to
of a thread causing
in the
make a sound such

is
as
is
termed
is
J a small piece of
wood
middle of which
cut a notch and which

is
being pulled, turns round and
then tied with a string which, heard to make a sound such as is termed e-iâJ
Imral-Qais likens
23, verse 59.
1
it
to a swift horse.
See Lyall's edition of the Mu'allaqdt,

Cf.
p.
jj^yTfijUi Continually on the road.
cy^JÛc The
Jinn that
in-
habit houses.
This
iii,
maqama
has been translated by
De
Sacy.
See his Chrestomathie Arabe,
253.
AL--ZAMAN AL-HAMADHANI
Blame me not
For
mayest thou receive right guidance
it.'
!
53
my
mendicity, but taste

IX.
THE MAQAMA OF JURJAN

and said
:
'Isi IBN
HlSHAM
related to us
While we were
at
Jurjan discussing in an assembly of ours, and there was none among us who was not of us, there stood before us a thick-bearded
l 2 man, neither tall and lankey, nor short and stunted, and little He began his speech children in worn-out clothes followed him. He approached us the salutation of Islam. with a greeting and He said O people, graciously and we treated him generously.
' :
am
the Sulaim
I
of the Umayyad frontiers ; a man, a citizen of Alexandria 4 me birth and the tribe of 'Abs 5 welcomed me. gave
have traversed horizons and travelled through the remotest I have been among the dwellers of the desert and parts of 'Iraq.
the people of the towns and in the two Houses of Rab'iah and Mudar.* Wherever I have been I have not been slighted. Let
make me appear
not what you see of tattered garments, and threadbare clothes we once were of despicable, for by Heavens
!
8 7 in the morning those that help and reform, giving a camel 9 in the evening. and a sheep And among us there are maqamat 10 whose faces are fair,
'
And
1 8
councils where words are followed by deeds.

Literally, stretched.
*
Lankey:
Stunted:
Literally, prevented.
to the
Alexandria of the Umayyad attached to Egypt by Mu'awfyah.

*
5
frontiers.
reference
importance
6
7
the name of a tribe. name of a large tribe, the descendants of Sulaim. Rab'iah and Mudar the names of tribes. Those that help and reform A popular saying, j.. ^ Jj^
:
Sulaim
'A bs, the
i.e.
we were
the
persons to put
8
it
into proper order, literally, the repairers
and menders.
o*^
csV Giving a camel and a
sheep
Another popular expression,

it is
^fcy from Acj a kind of gurgling growl made by the camel when then applied to the camel itself. See Arab Proverbs, ii, 327.
9
{
being laden
j*X giving a sheep
from
U> the bleating or cry of the sheep goat or the

Cf. the expression
VJ
like,
and then applied
to the sheep, absolutely.
Sj g\5
&JU
He
has neither a sheep nor a camel. 10 And there are maqdmdt : Metre tdwil. These lines are taken from the Qasfda of Zuheir, Shu'ard an-Nasraniah, pp. S73-4. In the original the first line
The
begins with ê** j and not Vl** j. It is correctly quoted on p. 32 of the Letters. sense of the word maqdmdt here is not known, but the context indicates that it signifies champions and the like
54
THE MAQAMAT OF
BAD!'
Those of them who have much undertake the support of them who seek their aid, And those who have little are generous and liberal.' Then, O people, fate singled me out from among them and
turned the
back of
the
shield
towards me.
Therefore,
exchanged sleep for wakefulness and rest for journeying. The 3 have thrown me hither and thither, desert has passed hurlings me on to desert and the haps of time have stripped me as gum is stripped from the tree, so that at morn and eve I am barer than the palm of the hand and cleaner than the face of a new-born
babe.
My courtyard
for
nought
me
vessels are empty. There is but the hardship of travel and the constant gripis
void and
my
I
ping of the camel's nose-string. The hard ground is the deserts.
suffer
poverty and
conciliate
Now
at
Amid
my bed, my pillow a stone. and then at Ras-u-'Ainin 4
And sometimes at Mayyafariqin. 5 One night in Syria and then at Ahwaz

camel, and another night in 'Iraq.' Separation ceased not to hurl me to every hurling-place, till traversed the stony hill-tract and then it set me down at
Is
my
Hamadhan.
Its
people received
me and
its
friends craned their
necks to look at me. But I inclined to one of them whose dish was most capacious and who was most stinting of roughness. 6 His fire is lit upon the hill tops,
'
At a time of
scarcity,
when
fires
are covered up.'
He
felt
prepared
me
a couch and
like a
any languor a son,
made ready a bed for me. If I keen Yemen blade, 7 or as the new
moon appearing
l
in a clear
atmosphere, hastened to attend to me.

:
Turned the back of the shield

ii,
'
said of a friend
who has become
inimical.
See Arab Proverbs,

*
258.
<j**V*
3
HufUn&s
name
from
:
^j*
the place of the butt where arrows are shot.
Sometimes at Amid
:
Metre, Wdfir.
Amid
4
the
of a fortress in Diyar Bakr.
fifteen
al-'Ain : a large town in Diyar Bakr between Nasibin and Harran, parasangs from the former place. It is noted for its numerous springs. The scene of a famous battle between the Tamfm and Bakr ibn Wa'il. 6 Mayyafariqin : Is a town of Diyar Bakr thirty parasangs from Nasibin.
Ras
His
fire is
lit:
upon the
hill tops
An
allusion to the practice of lighting a

to indicate to the belated traveller
fire in
a prominent position at night (^$&\
fy
where he might find food and shelter. Metre, Wdfir. 1 Like a keen, Yemen blade In sharpness and effectiveness.
:
He bestowed
favours upon
55
straitened as to
me which made me
The first of them was house desert and expansive as to joy. But the only thing furniture and the last a thousand dinars. l that made me flee from Hamadhan was the stream of gifts
constant.
which was continuous, and the rain of generosity which was So I fled from Hamadhan as flees the fugitive, and
bolted as bolts the wild animal,
2
dangers and
left
suffering hardships in
traversing the roads, pursuing But I have the countries.
behind the mother of

l
my
abode
silver,
he were a precioas armlet of
one as though broken and thrown down on
and
my little
the playground of the maidens of the tribe. And the wind of need and the breeze of penury have blown me to you. Therefore one rendered lean and observe, may God have mercy upon you
!
emaciated by
'
travel, directed by need and tormented by want. A traveller, a mighty traverser of the earth, 5 cast hither and thither, By deserts his hair is matted and he is dust-stained.'
;
May God
no way
grant you a guide to goodness and for evil to reach you.

:
!
may He make
Hisham By Heavens then did hearts feel compassion for him and eyes streamed with tears at the beauty of his speech. And we gave him what was then ready to hand, and he turned away from us praising us. I followed him and lo
Said 'Isa ibn
!
by Heavens,
it
was our Sheikh Abu'l Path al-Iskanderi.

X.
THE MAQAMA OF ISFAHAN

related to us
*f SA
IBN
HISHAM
and said
:
was
at
Isfahan
The stream of
gifts
which was constant
very strange reason to assign

ii,
Cf. The Odes of al-Buhturi, for leaving Hamadhan. edition A.H. 1300) where the same idea is expressed.
8
220.
(Constantinople
AJ}
wild animal
From ^\ shy
where the
or unsociable.
fleet
rf
Cf.
Qasfda of Imr
j_._S
al-
Qais, line 35
(Lyall's edition)
horse
-
is
->,
said to prevent the wild

J _
animals from escaping.

3
Also the Tradition ^5CiJb
Us.jA.JL> ^>\^\
^sjJV 'Benefits are
fugitives, or wild animals, therefore detain
them by
gratitude.'
The mother of my abode
The
mistress of the house, or a man's wife.
See
Ibn al-Athfr,
4
Kunya
Lexicon,
p. 199.
:
Broken and thrown on the playground
And
therefore in a condition to
excite pity.
5 1
traveller,
:
a mighty traverser of the earth.

in A.H. 23 or 24.
Metre, tawil.
Isfahan
well-known city and a former capital of Persia.
Captured during
the Khallfate of
'Umar
56
intending to go to the fleeting shade.
THE MAQAMAT OF
Rayy
l
BAD!'
alighted in the city as alights 2 I was expecting to see the caravan at every glance and looking out for the mount to appear at every sunrise. Now, when that which I expected, was about to happen, I heard
I
and so
the call to prayer and to respond to

slipped
3
it
was
obligatory.
So
away from my companions, taking advantage
of the
of joining in public prayers, and dreading, at the loss of the caravan I was leaving. But I sought aid against the difficulty of the desert through the blessing of
opportunity
same time, the
prayer, and, therefore, I went to the front row and stood up. The Imam went up to the niche and recited the opening chapter of the Qur'an according to the intonation of Hamza, 4 in regard
I experienced disquieting the thought of missing the caravan, and of separation grief from the mount. Then he followed up the Suratal-Fatiha with
5
to using
'
madda
'
and
'
hamza, while
at
Surat al-Waqi'a
while
I
suffered the fire of patience

grilling
and tasked
live coal
myself severely.
was roasting and
on the
Rayy : A town in Persia, 160 parasangs from Qazwfn, and the seat of the government of the province known under the Khalffateas the Daylam. Conquered in the Khalffate of 'Umar. During the Arab ascendancy, and under the Seljuks, it was a place of considerable importance. Ibn Paris, the poet and grammarian and instructor of al-Hamadhani, was born here. The derivative adjective from Rayy
1
is
Razf.
The caravan
The commentator
considers
it
to
mean a company
of
persons returning together from a journey, so called as auguring their safe return
but more likely from Ka7rrj\o<i through Talmud

3
nb^Sp"
a trader.
Taking advantage of the opportunity

i,
of public over private prayers.
Because of the greater merit in Islam See al-Madhiri, Kitdb al-Targhib wa Tarhib (d.
:
A.H. 656)
4
74.
to the intonation of
is
According
a.x*J
Hamza
in
regard to using
madda and hamza.

>
Al-MadJa
(
\
the
"\
orthographical
sign
of prolongation
Hamzah
-f
and written
as in
(^"\. For the rules as
to its use, in intoning the
Qur'an, see Suyuti, Itqdn, pp. 227-31. (Calcutta, edition, 1852). Hamza ibn al-Habfb (80-156 A.H.) buried at Hulwan, was one of the seven recognized readers of the Qur'an. He is charged with exaggerating the use of madda and hamza. The
objection
is
i,
Turkish,
*
repudiated, however, by Hamza's admirers, see Manduat al-'Ultimin 483 (Constantinople edition, AH. 1313). Al-Hamadhani evidently be-
lieved the charge to be well
grounded and hence the appropriateness of the allusion. Disquieting grief : Literally causing to stand up and sit down, hence occa-
sioning restlessness.
Al-Waqi'a : The Inevitable. Qur'an Ivi, It contains ninety-six verses. 88, the choice of the Sura rests entirely with the reader According to Shifi'i, or reciter. See Margoliouth, Early Development of Muhammadanism, p. 21.
Umm
of rage.
l
57
But, from what

of that place,
if
I
2
people
of the savage fanaticism of the prayers were cut short of the final
knew
and endurance, or speech and the grave. So I remained standing thus on the foot I had now despaired of of necessity till the end of the chapter. the caravan and given up all hope of the supplies and the mount. He next bent his back 3 for the two prostrations with such humility and emotion, the like of which I had never seen Then he raised his hands and his head and said before. May God accept the praise of him who praises Him,' and remained standing till I doubted not but that he had fallen asleep. Then he placed his right hand on the ground, put his forehead on the I raised my head to look for earth and pressed his face thereto. an opportunity to slip away, but I perceived no opening in the
salutation, there
was no
alternative but silence
'
rows, so
Takbir
re-addressed myself to prayer until he repeated the for the sitting posture. Then he stood up for the second
I
5
prostration and recited the Suras of al-Fatiha and al-Qari'a with an intonation which occupied the duration of the Last Day 6 and
well-nigh exhausted the spirits of the congregation.
Now, when
he had finished his two prostrations and proceeded to wag his 7 jaws to pronounce the testimony to God's unity, and to turn his
face to the right
'
and
to the left
for the final salutation,
I
'
said
;
has made escape easy, and deliverance is nigh but stood up and said Whosoever of you loves the Companions and the Muslim community let him lend me his ears
Now God
man
'
for a
moment.'
Said 'Isa ibn

dignity.
order to save
1
my
I
Hisham Then he said

:
I
' :
clave to
It is
my
place in
incumbent upon
Cf. Yaqut,
i,
From what
knew of the savage fanaticism of
the people.
296.
2
Q\ should be vocalized
Q\ See Wright,
Grammar,
ii,
348
(6).
: Literally his bow. Takbir: The repetition of the well-known formula great, there is no god but God. 5 Al-Fdtiha The opening chapter of the Qur'an.
3
4
His back
God
is
great,
God
is
Al-Qdri'a The 'striking '. Qur'an ci. It contains eight verses. 6 The duration of the Last Day Literally the hour '. According Ixx, 4, fifty thousand years, and Qur'an, xxxii, 4, a thousand years.
:
'
to Qur'an,
&CJ^
His jaws
Literally,
the
two
branches
0Vcj^
of the occipital
artery
artery.
8
which are distributed upon the occiput branches from the or carotid Jo^
his face to the right
Turn
and
left
To
salute the guardian angels.
58
THE MAQAMAT OF
that
I
BADI'
me
but
the
truth.
I
should speak nothing but verity and testify to nought I have brought you good tidings from your
will not
vile
:
Prophet, but
'Isa ibn
communicate
musjid of every
Hisham
!
Now
person who he had bound

1
hath purged this denies his prophetic office.' Said

it
until
God
me
said
with cords and fettered

'
:
me
in
with bands of iron.

a
Then he
dream
May God send His
saw the Prophet like blessings upon him

I
the sun
beneath the clouds, and the
moon
;
at
the
full.
He
he was trailing his was walking, the stars following him Then he taught me a skirts and the angels held them up. So I prayer and admonished me to teach it to his people.
wrote
it
3
down on
musk,
these slips of paper
Khaluq,
saffron
and
socc,
as a gift, I will present it to the cost of the paper I will accept
with the perfumes of and whoever asks for a copy him, but whosoever hands me back
4
it.'
Said 'Isa ibn
Hisham
Dirhems poured upon him to such an extent that he was Then he went out and I followed him wondering at bewildered. 5 the cleverness of his imposture and his artifice to gain his living. And I determined to question him concerning his condition, but I restrained myself, and to converse with him, but I remained silent, and I pondered over his eloquence with his shamelessness, his
men by his artifice from men by his ingenuity. Then I looked drawing gold So I asked: What set lo! it was Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi. He smiled and recited, saying thee on this stratagem ? Men are asses, 6 so lead them one after the other,
pleasantness with his mendicity, his catching
and and
his
'
'
'
Compete
Till
and excel them, thou hast obtained from them

with,
What
1
thou desirest, then

:
quit.'
Bands of iron
(j^&jfl!^
Literally, with black ropes.
Paper : Arabicized from the Greek VO-pT^?.
Khaluq
of saffron
: A certain species of perfume also termed Khilaq. It is composed and other things, and redness and yellowness are the predominant
colours.
*
Socc
A sort
of perfume prepared
is
stance like pitch that

*
from ramik which mixed with musk.

:
is
a kind of black sub-
3;3
Fraud or imposture
are asses
:
Seems
to
be a foreign word, probably borrowed
from Persian.
6
Men
frfi
Then quit
translated
Literally,
then die.
Metre, mujtath.
This
iii
maqama has been
by De Sacy, see Chrestomathie Arabe,
255,
AL-ÂMAN AL-HAMADHANI
XI.
59
THE MAQAMA OF AHWAZ

related
'
'Is!
IBN
HISHAM
to us
and said
was
at
9
Ahwaz l
with some friends
When the beholder's eye ascends to their heads and then descends to their feet, it is unable at once to take in all their beauties among us were none but beardless boys with
'
3 or downy-lipped ones with refined manners, virgin aspirations, discussed fellowship the hope of the days and the nights.
We
should lay down for it, fraternity and how we should strengthen its bonds, happiness and when we should seek it, drinking and when we should vie with one another therein,
and the
rules
we
sociability and how we should mutually contribute lost chances and how to recover them, liquor and
towards
it,
where we
for
should procure
it.
it,
and the assembly and how we should arrange

*
Then
said one of our
company
4
will be responsible
:
the house and entertainment.'

to
Another said
.'
I will
undertake
5 Now, when we had supply the wine and the dessert.' determined to proceed, there met us a man wearing two worn-out In his right hand was a staff and on his shoulder a garments.
the bier we augured ill from it, turned our and avoided it. 6 So he shouted at us with a shout away 7 in sunder and the stars at which the earth was almost cloven 8 In abasement ye shall surely were about to fall, and he said see it, and perforce and against your will ye shall mount it. What aileth ye that ye augur ill 9 from a mount which your
bier.
When we saw
faces
Ahwaz
When
The
plural
of
jya>
famous for
*
its fair
and formerly noted for
the chief town of Khuzistan, originally jy its sugar. Captured by Abu Musa al-
Ash'ari in A.H. 17.
Already quoted on
3
4
the eye ascends : Adapted from line 69 of the p. 29 of the text.

:
Kasida
of
Imr
al-Qais.
Virgin aspirations
Another reading
:
JUcS\y=>
Virgin actions.
J>^
jis.5^
entertainment
Dessert
:
Literally food prepared for a guest.

fruits,
Dried and other
such as nuts, almonds,

J]tf
is
raisins, dried
figs,
dried dates, etc., taken as an accompaniment with wine.
more common
than
8
U^ Vjj
is
&
* ^-*
: folded up our flank from it. U>jk We avoided it Literally, the flank or the part between the false ribs and the hip. Figure for to
turn
1
8
away from, to avoid contact with, or to withdraw the countenance. The earth was almost cloven An allusion to Qur'an, Ixxxii. 1. The stars were about to fall An allusion to Qur'an, Ixxxi. 2.
:
Augur
ill: Cf.
Qur'an, xxvii. 48.
60
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
fore
Whereancestors have ridden and your posterity will soon ride ? do ye shun as unclean a couch, that your fathers have used l
will
and your progeny
use
Yet,
by Heavens
upon these
timbers ye shall surely be carried to those worms, and ye shall be transported by these fleet coursers to those pits. A plague upon ye Ye augur ill as if ye were free agents, and ye evince loathing
!
as
if
ye were sanctified.
'
Vile wretches
what
profiteth this prog-
nostication
?
:
we had compacted, and rendered futile what we had determined, so we inclined to him and said How much are we in need of thy admonition and how greatly are we in love with thy words. Now
Now
'
he had dissolved what
He conthou wished thou wouldst say something more ? tinued there are behind you watering-places which ye Verily have been travelling towards for twenty years.''
if
'
And
verily a
man,
who
has been journeying to a watering
place for
'
twenty years,
Is near his drinking time.'
one above you who knows your secrets and In this world He treats you could, if He would, expose you. with kindness, and in the next, He will judge you according to
there
is
And
knowledge.
you, for
if
Therefore
call
death to mind
lest evil
3
come upon
ye make this thought cleave unto you as an innermost 4 and if ye remember it, ye garment, ye will not be refractory will not be frivolous. But if ye do forget it, it will make you
;
remember, and
l
if
he be slothful about
trodden
it, it
will
wake you up,
&L^ Used
it: Literally,
:
it.
to
And verily a man Metre, basit. The commentator attributes these lines Ibn Ahmad the Taymite. The original has fifty and not twenty years. This is
5
an example of <_in^J or perversion,

the
p^
to
make
the sense accord with the youth of
company he
3
is 'addressing.
1^3 jjjLLl U\ If ye make- it cleave o

inner garment, opposed to
to
you
Literally,
__
if
&-
ye make
it
your
jU*
^^
outer garment,
ytjui
also
means
to lay to
heart.
See Hariri,
i,
135.
Cf.
The
tradition relating to the
Ansar
jtfo <j*\A\')
Ye
are the special and close friends and the people in general are less
.near in friendship.
\jiias? his rider, bolted.

6
Ve will not
It
be refractory
From c +^ he
(a
horse) overcame
pZf*'jb
will
wake you up: As one who
seeks blood revenge
or retaliation of the slayer of his kinsman.
and though ye
'
61
But what Too far-reaching to set bounds to, He replied need ? thy But for the and too manifold to be reckoned up.' We said The bringing back of the past and He said time ? present
dislike
it,
it
will visit you.'

'
We
said
'
is
'
'
'
said That protection against the accidents of the future.' have what thou desirest of is not in our power, but thou mayest
:
We
'
I have no He said the goods of this world and its vanities.' need of them, but my need henceforth is rather that ye should
1
* :
bolt
than ye should remember

XII.
what
I say.'
THE MAQAMA OF BAGHDAD

related
to
'Isi IBN
HISHAM
4
us
and
said
When
Baghdad, I longed for some of the Azaz date, but I cash knotted up. So I went out to the shops seeking an 5 until my desire put me down at Karkh, when lo opportunity
!
was in had no
jCj
Z -C>
Its vanities
From
<~*f*\
gold
6 CftK*.;
signifies the
adorning or em-
bellishing of a thing primarily with gold.
Q\ That ye should bolt From Sl^ he went quickly like a camel throwing his legs out like an ostrich. This is an extraordinary use of the verb J^ and the text is probably corrupt, in fact the sentence is omitted from the ConI have no need of them stantinople edition which concludes with the words Besides the remark is neither witty nor clever.
2
:
\ytoii
'
'
\j*S
To ponder
Another reading \jA*5

1
to promise,
' :
which yields a better
sense.
!
Another edition has these additional words Then I approached him and lo it was our Shaikh al-Iskanderf. 4 Baghdad : Was the capital of the Khalifate from 762-1258. It was originally the mother a little Persian village on the west bank of the Tigris. Yaqut calls it It was founded by the Khalifa Mansur of the world and the queen of cities'. who laid the first brick with his own hands and recited on the occasion the followThe earth is God's. He giveth it for an inheriting passage from the Qur'an ance unto such of his servants as he pleaseth, and the prosperous end shall be unto those who fear Him (Qur'an, vii, 125) adding, 'Build under the blessing of God '. The cost of building the city is said to have been 18,000,000 dinars. Yaqut, i, 677 See also Le Strange, Baghdad. 5 Al-Karkh The business quarter of Baghdad on a site outside the city to which Mansur transferred the trades people. Two reasons are assigned for this (1) A patrician came to Baghdad as an ambassador from the Byzantine court. After he had been taken over the city, Mansur asked him what he thought of it. He It is a beautiful and well-fortified town, but for the fact that your enemies replied, Mansur asked who they were. The ambassador answered are within its walls.' The merchants who come from all parts as spies, find out all they want to know and go away again and you are none the wiser? After the departure of the Ambassador, Mansur had all the trades-people removed outside the city to Karkh. (2) The Khalifa found that the smoke from the shops was spoiling the walls of the gates, and to get rid of this smoke nuisance he had them transferred to Karkh.
' '
:
'
'
'
'
Yaqut,
i,
677.
62
I
THE MAQAMAT OF
BADI*
chanced upon a rustic * urging his ass along his waist-wrapper, tapering on one side with the weight of the money tied up in it. Then I said and By Heavens, we have secured a quarry I addressed him with, on thee, Abu Zaid whence Greeting art thou come, and where art thou staying, and when didst thou arrive ? Come, let us go to the house.' The rustic said
'
' :
!
'
'
am
not
Abu
Zaid, but
2
Abu
'Ubaid.'
'
exclaimed,
;
Of course
and put away forgetfulness length of time and distance made me forget thee and how is thy father ? Is he as young as he was when I knew him, or has he aged He answered since I left ? The spring pasture 3 has grown * over and obliterated the traces of his grave and I hope God may receive him to His paradise.' I exclaimed 'Verily we are God's and to him do we return There is neither strength, 5 nor power except in God, the High, the Great and my hand flew 6 to my undershirt 7 as if I wished to rend it. But the rustic clasped my waist with his hands and said I adjure thee
curse the devil
;
' '
:
God
'
Let us go to the house by God not to rend it.' Then I said and get some food, or to the market and buy some roast meat, Thus did for the market is nearer and the food there nicer.' I excite in him a fierce craving for meat, and incline him with
*
:
i53^1 a rustic
and cultivated lands of

because of
tyte.
,
the district of towns or villages \f&\ A\'f or the district between Basra and Kufa so-called al-'Iraq, which means both greenness and a colour, approaching to black:
From
the
ness, of its trees
and seed produce.

it
'.
The Arabs
call that
which
is
^\
green,
is
L>\ black because dently a greenhorn

'
appears to
be thus at a distance.
The meaning here
evi-
God
62.
curse the devil
and put away forgetfulness: An

:
allusion to Qur'an,
xviii.
3
gj\ The
O- &
spring pasture
Literally,
the spring.
Another reading
the pasture.
traces: Cf.
"
*
Hebrew
:
There
is
no strength
A
:
formula used to express consternation or
surprise.
8
jU-^T
'
oo
L>
JJ^
My hand flew
Literally, I stretched the hasty hand.
îo
undershirt: Literally, a certain garment with which the head and
breast are covered,
worn next
a sidar
is
to
worn by a woman mourning for her husband, or a small shirt A proverb says, &U. j\io wU Every female having the body.
^
"" ""
J^
a maternal aunt,
ii,
whom
one
is
under an obligation to respect, and protect.
Arab Proverbs,
310.
63
the inclination of gobbling and greed, and he became greedy. But he did not know he had fallen into the trap. Then we came to a fried-meat seller's whose roasted meats 1
were dripping with fat, and whose cakes were streaming with I said Put aside for Abu Zaid a portion from this gravy. fried meat and then weigh him some of that sweetmeat. Take some of those plates and place upon them some of these wafercakes and sprinkle upon them some juice of the Summak 2
'
:
berry, in order that
Abu Zaid may
eat
and
relish
it.'
So the
collyrium
fried-meat
seller,
with his long knife, bent over the choicest

as small as
productions of his oven, chopped them
The rustic sat down grains and pounded them as fine as flour. and I did likewise. He spoke not neither did I speak 3 till we had eaten all. Then I said to the halwa-seller : Weigh for Abu Zaid two pounds of confection of almonds, 4 for it is the easiest to swallow and the quickest to penetrate through the 5 It should have been made overnight, veins.' spread out in the
day, crisp, well stuffed, of pearl-like lustre and starry hue, and should dissolve in the mouth like gum, before it is chewed,
in order that
Abu Zaid may
eat
and enjoy
it.
He
said
' :
And
i Whose roasted meats : pi. of &3jl and &>G\ jf*. gtî the latter formed by transposition, from the Persian s->\^ a dish of meat, rice, vetches and walnuts in which a condiment of syrup vinegar is poured food dressed under roast
meat.
It is also
called
&fi\
The mother
See
of Joyfulness, because
it
removes one's
anxiety for seasoning or condiment.

viii,
De
Sacy, Hariri,
i,
227,
and Mas'udi,
berry, a well-
405.
8
cj)U-~^
fruit
;
Summak
$
The rhus coriaria of Linnaeus or
its
known
3
a certain acid with which one cooks.

"Sj (j*-2>
t~~>
I
He
despaired not, neither did I despair.
Another reading
neither did I
to
which
have given preference
^^^>
Sj
^^
He
spoke not,
speak.
*
2)ju^
& _
or &*^y Confection of
I
almonds
Lozenge and &*)

~- c
>
from the
Arabic
J an almond.
think the presumption in favour of the English lozenge

is
being derived from this word
strong.
Originally
^j^,
Spanish losanja in
which form
it
went back
to the east.
This would explain the termination g>
See Mas'udi, viii, 240 for a poem by Ibn al-Rumi (b. A.H. 221-84) in praise of this sweetmeat. The word lauz occurs in Spanish as alloza and in Portuguese as arzolla. See Dozy, Loan words from Arabic, and Letters, p. 307.
*
j+sb\
JjQ Overnight
Literally, a night old.
64
he weighed
it.'
* :
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

So we got
to
work l and
Then
to
said
Abu
thirst
Zaid,
how
till
ate till we finished it. we need some iced water badly
quench
Sit
this
and
to allay the heat generated
by
this
meal.
down, Abu Zaid,
I went out and sat where bring thee a drink of water.' I could see him but he could not observe me, in order to see what he would do. When the rustic perceived that I delayed,
we Then
fetch thee a water-carrier to
he arose and went towards his

clung to his waist-wrapper
ass,
but the fried-meat seller

* :
what thou hast eaten
'
Said
Then
the fried-meat seller

it
Where is Abu Zaid I ate it struck him a blow with

and
said
*
: ' :
the cost of
as a guest.' his fist and
!
followed
up with a
cuff,
saying
?
Take
that, base-born fellow
When
rustic
did
we
invite thee
Pay
tell
down twenty
dirhems.'
3
The
began to weep and to untie the knots with his teeth
saying,
*
'How
"
often did
',
that contemptible ape,

:
"I am
Abu 'Ubaid
and he would say

:
Nay but thou art Abu Zaid Then I indited To obtain thy livelihood 4 make
'.
'
use of every means
Do not be satisfied with any condition, But be equal to any enormity

;
5 For man becomes incapable, there
is
no doubt about
it.'
XIII.
THE MAQAMA OF BASRA

and said
:
'Is! IBN
HISHAM
related to us
I
entered
;
Basra
when, as regards age,

I
was
in the
prime of youth
as to attire,
in the
was clad
in the variegated striped stuffs of
Yemen, and,
Jju
We got
I.
to
work
Literally,
he
sat
down and
I sat
down he bared
;
his
arm and
so did
^j Pay
joys
Literally, weigh.
Contemptible ape.
*>*c
Diminutive of
Jy>.
Another reading
is
*&>yu^
dimi-
nutive of
4
an
ass.
See Cambridge MS.

:
To obtain thy livelihood
Metre, kamil.
no doubt about it. Meidani, Arab Proverbs, ii, 221 (Bulak edition. A.H. 1287). 8 Basra was founded by the Arabs in A.H. 17 or 18 in the Khalifate or 'Umar.
5
Man
is
incapable there
is
It
its
was remarkable during the Khalifate for its population, for the great number of mosques and for its famous school of grammar which rivalled that of Kufa. Arab scholars were divided into two schools of the Basrians and the Kufians.
65
l
matter of wealth, I had cattle and sheep. And I came to Mirbad with some friends upon whom eyes fastened. 3 proceeded a short distance to the recreation grounds among the green plains
We
wherein a certain spot arrested us and so we alighted there. We made for the gaming arrows of pleasure and whirled them, 3 throwing off bashfulness, as there was not one among us who
was not of us. But in less than the twinkling of an eye, there came in our view the figure 4 of a man which the hollows lowered from, and the ridges exposed to sight. We perceived 5 he was coming towards us and so we craned our necks to see He greeted us him, till his journeying brought him to us. with the salutation of Islam and we returned him the due
6
greeting.
Then he ran
his eye over us
and said
'
:
people, there
is
not one of you but looks askance at
me with excessive caution. Now none can acquaint you concerning me more truthfully than 7 I am a man from among the citizens of Alexandria I can myself. 8 on the Umayyad frontiers. Excellence was generous to me, 9
pleasure hailed me, and a distinguished house bred me. Then did fortune deny me both her meaner and better gifts, and caused little ones with inflamed crops to follow me,
10 in an arid land, they were serpents Whose venom would be fatal were they to
As
if
bite.
When we
And
1
tarry they send me out to earn, when we travel they ride on me.'
Once a famous camel mart and flourishing suburb three miles from Here poets and orators contested for superiority as they were wont to do at the fair of 'Ukaz, a practice which gave rise to so much literary emulation that the city became famous for its learning.
:
Mirbad
Basra
in the direction of the desert.
3
4
Upon whom eyes fastened Because of their attractiveness. There was not one among us who was not of us Cf. Text,
: :
p. 43, supra.
j\f
5
The figure
line 3
Literally, a blackness.
For Uic.
read \JUlc
:
The due greeting

/
While
is
it is
not incumbent upon a
Muslim
to greet another,
to return the salutation

7
obligatory.
See Qur'an,
iv, 88.
am
man from among
the citizens of Alexandria: Cf. Text, p. 44,
supra.
* The Umayyad frontiers : Alexandria was the western limit of the eastern Khalifate and the eastern boundary of the western Khalifate. 9 Excellence was generous to me : Literally, excellence made its region smooth
for me.
10
As
if they
were serpents
Metre, rejex.
66
THE MAQAMAT OF
The white
*
BADI'
become
5
hath deserted
;
us, the
yellow
hath
refractory to us
the black
6
hath consumed
us, the red
hath
Abu Malik hath come to us. Abu Jabir only visits are barren of strength, 7 and the waters of this Basra promote digestion while her poor are oppressed. Man is occupied in getting something for his teeth and is in anxiety concerning
crushed
us
us.
when we
himself.
'
What
then
is
the case of him,
roams and roams 8 and then returns, To stay with chicks whose sight is made keen, 9 Whose covering is old, whose hair is matted and dusty so
that they are ever
Who
Ravenous
:0
and
lank-bellied.'
Verily to-day they arose in the morning and looked upon a living person who is like one dead, and at a home which was like
no home.
of joint,
:1
They wrung their hands longingly, put their ribs out shed tears and addressed one another by the name of
poverty in the day of the mean,
12
Hunger
1
And
Is every
The And
1
generous man's badge. generous incline towards the mean, this is one of the signs of the last day.'
:
The white
a*<J\
Silver.
vjyij
The white has
resisted
Cf.
6\*M ^z>&>
the
woman
exalted
herself against her husband, or deserted him. 3 The yellow : Gold.

*
5
The black : Nights. The red Years of severe drought. Cf. De Sacy, Hariri, i, 147, where the names
:
of colours are introduced in a
like artificial
manner.
For
fanciful
names
of this type see Ibn al-Athfr,
Kunya Lexicon
(edition
by
Seybold).
Abu Malik (cdJU Abu

&>
7
ott
*\
Hunger
Ct. Hariri,
i,
Jabir
223-4.
Bread
:
yic Q&.
8
Barren of strength
.*
i.e.
when
there
is
no strength
left to
eat
it.
Who roams and roams

fiOJk^y*
33
Metre, wdfir.
expectancy.
Literally, a
Made
-
keen
By
:
*O
10
11
12
vU^
U=.
Ravenous
hungry canine tooth.
They put their ribs out of joint : By sobbing violently. And poverty in the day of the mean : Metre, kdmil.
My
'
67
lords,
ye have been chosen by

1
me and
have sworn,
verily in
Now
?
them
advantage. there a youth who will give them a supper, or cover And is there a generous man who will grant them
is
them
is
a morning meal, or clothe Said 'Isa ibn Hisham the seclusion of

or
my
ear
them ? By Heavens there had never sought a speech more winning, estimable, loftier
:
!
'
more original than that which we had recourse to our belts, 2
heard from him.

rejecting
Perforce
our
sleeves,
and
3 And I gave him my ornamented robe 4 eschewing our pockets. and the company followed my example, 5 and we said to him Go and join thy children.' So he turned away from us after
: *
thanksgiving, to which he rendered the
full
meed, and eulogy
with which he
filled his
mouth.
XIV.
THE MAQAMA OF AL-FAZARA

related to us
6
was in one of the regions of the Fazara tribe riding one noble mount and leading another which in turn coursed along with me. And I was
and said
:
ISA IBN HISHAM
making
for
my
not divert me, nor did distance with
native land so that the night with its terrors did its deserts turn me from my
purpose. 7 I struck off the leaves of day with the staff of travel, and with the horse's hoofs I penetrated into the maw of night.
Meanwhile,
way,
8
5
in a night so
dark that the Qatat would lose

9
its
and the bat could not see

--
in
it,
was going
Cf.
swiftly
and
p~4
"
advantage
the belts
:
Literally, grease of gravy.

in
Heb.
^jp-j
which
travellers place the

:
major portion of their money.
sleeves
4
and pockets
in
which smaller sums are placed.

y*.
a garment of the kind of cloth called ^j^L/* silk and wool, or entirely of wool, having ornamental borders. 50 C 6 ,*A&.\ my example : From j^\ a way or manner of life.
:
ornamented robe
woven
of
Fazara The name of an Arab tribe. The leaves of day Figure for the hours of the day. The Qatdt would lose its way Cf. De Sacy, Hariri,
:
i,
260, LVUS^
The
a species of sandgrouse. It is related of this bird that bird called ( Qata, ) it will leave its young at dawn and go to drink at a place a night's journey off and will return in the morning bringing water to its chicks, that again in the early afternoon
\L*
is
it
will fly to the place

its
once more returning to bring water a second time without

;
losing
9
way.
See Arab Proverbs,
i,
In which the bat could not see
194.
68
l
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
smoothly along, nothing passing from the right but a lion and nought from the left save a hyena, when suddenly there appeared he was making for some tamarisk to my view a rider fully armed trees and traversing towards me the intervening stretches of
;
desert.
So there seized me because

in the presence of
* :
of
him what
seizes the
unarmed
one bristling with weapons.

!
But
Perish thy father, stand Before put on a bold front and said thou canst attain thy object thou wilt have to endure wounds
of steel,
2
strip the tragacanth
of its leaves,
I
and face a stout

for peace,
if
'
foeman with the pride

wilt, or for war,
'
of
an Azdite.
am
*
:
thou
if
thou desirest.
'
Tell me,
'
Peace hast thou found.' I said He answered A counsellor, if thou well, but who art thou ? seekest counsel, an orator if thou desirest converse, but before
replied
: :
who art thou ? He Thou hast answered
my name
remove.'
is
a veil which the mentioning of no proper name can then said What is thy trade ? He replied I
'
'
'
roam about the
interiors of the countries, in order that
may
of a generous man. I have a mind served by light upon the dish and rhetoric which my own fingers record. My utmost a tongue,
desire
is
a generous person
who
will lower
me
one of his saddle-
bags and give me
his wallet, like the free-born
yesterday as the rising sun going down of the same.
youth that met me and vanished from my sight with the But although he has disappeared, the
of him remaineth, and, though he has taken leave of me, marks of his favour accompany me still.' Pointing to what the None can acquaint you of them 4 he had on, he continued
memory
'
better than they themselves.'
Lord
of the
in the craft,
by the Ka'ba an importunate, grasping beggar, experienced 5 nay but a past master of the art Thou wilt have
I
:
exclaimed to myself,
'
was going
swiftly
and smoothly along

:
Literally,
flowed with the flowCf.
ing of water.
*
The wounds of
steel
The
scarifying of sharp edges or points.
the
expression sharp tongues.

8
o\J^ <LuJ^
1284).
Strip the tragacanth : Meidani, Arab Proverbs, i, 233. (Bulak edition A.H. Before one can attain it one has to strip the tragacanth, a species of tree
i.e.
with short curved thorns, by grasping each branch and drawing one's hand down it one has to perform whatjwill be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Literwould be the stripping of the tragacanth. ally, less difficult than that
*
6
Of them
6
i.e.
the marks of favour.

:
-C
ju*^ Master
Arabicised from the Persian A\X~\ a master, or teacher,
to give
69
*
him something and pay

'
liberally,'
;
so
said
'
:
Young
man, thou hast manifested thy diction how does thy poetry There is no compariHe replied compare with thy prose ? son between my prose and my verse.' Then he summoned aid
'
:
from
filled
his natural ability, raised his voice to such a pitch that
it
the valley, and recited saying

1
pure-minded one presented to me by the night, and by the desert, And by the five so swift that they barely touched the
2
ground.
I
applied to his timber deeds.
the test of the
fire
of generous
And he proved
sides, of
I
to be, both
on the paternal and the maternal

I
high degree.
sought to cajole him into parting with his property and succeeded in cajoling him.
endeavoured to
easy to him.
facilitate his
giving,
and
it
was made
And when we had

found
revealed ourselves to each other, and he
my
prose praiseworthy,
He
But,
tested
me
in
my
me.
versification
with
what he
was
disposed to test
blade,
when he shook me, he shook none

not but the
first in
other than a keen
And he found me
While
I
the race,
And
discovered him to be ever bright and beaming, 4 there was beneath him none other than a showy steed,
feet.'
blazed on forehead and

1
dllc
~J Pay him liberally

(toes)
1
Literally,
pour upon him.

:
The five
that barely touched the ground
Literally, while
one says
'No, No.
3
His timber
A
. -
&-
figurative for disposition.

9*
is primarily applied to a horse with f\ Bright and beaming : a white forehead and Js<te>* to a horse with white feet, both figuratively mean, bright and cheerful or distinct and clearly marked.
^Tatus,"
J*
Hamasa (Freytag), p. 53. * U.AC -i if *&$* \J**\*\ ' " JT* _ 'And our days of victory over our enemies are as conspicuous ^.^ ^ <L*jU* j^ V$S and remarkable as the blaze on the forehead and feet of a horse.'
Cf.
_
The
_
lines
by Samau'al,
_
..
-.0
, 0--.
Jâ. is from JU:U- an anklet as the white on the foot is where the anklet is worn. Another reading C-jJ^^ most honourable and dignified. Metre, tawil,
70
THE MAQAMAT OF
Then
I
BAD!'
said to
I
:
him
' :
Gently,
youth, and thou canst comits
mand what He said

'
'
:
have with me.'

*
The
provision bag with
contents.'
replied
Aye and its bearer too.' Then I clasped him with my hands and said By Him who hath endowed them with the sense of touch, and from one split them into five, thou shalt not leave me,
unless
I
!
learn thy state.'
Then he lowered
his veil
from his face

!
and
lo
by heavens
I
l
it
:
was our Sheikh, al-Iskanderi
Without
further waiting
'
said
Abu'1-Fath, in pride hast thou girt on this blade, But what doest thou with the sword when thou art no warrior ?
So melt down
into an anklet the gold with which thcu hast bedecked this sword of thine.'
XV.
THE MAQAMA OF JAHIZ

:
I and a few friends 'f si IBN HISHAM related to us and said were excited at receiving an invitation to a banquet. 3 I accepted it in accordance with the w ell-known Tradition of the
r
Abii'l-Fath
is
MS.
in the Bibliotheque Nationale
in pride hast thou girt on this blade : Metre, hezej. The has the first two lines only. The thought intro-
duced here
p. 69).
'
taken from the following lines of another poet (See footnote on Text,
hast heard what he said but thou carest not for his speech. for him who oppresses therewith, the valiant in war.
Thou
Leave the sword
And
melt
down
into an anklet the
sword with which thou hast bedecked

art not a fighter
'
thyself,
For what doest thou with a sword when thou
Cf. Scott, Bridal of Triermain, xxvii. 2 Abu 'Uthman ibn Bahr ibn Mahbab al-Kinani al-Laithi, generally surname of al-Jahiz, a native of Basra, was celebrated for his learning.
known by the
He was
the
author of numerous works, the three principal ones being Kitdb al-Haiwdn (the
book of animals) Kitdb al-Baian wa'l-Tabyin (description and exposition) and Kitdb al-Bukhald (the book of misers), and he also composed a discourse on the fundamentals of religion. An offset of the Mu'tazilite sect was called al-Jahiziyya. It is said of the works of Jahiz 'that they teach us to reason first, and instruct us in He was deformed in person, and the prominence of his eyes, literature next.' which seemed to be starting out of his head, produced the surnames of al-Jahiz (the He died at Basra A.H. 255 (A.D. 868-9), starer) and al-Hadaqf (the goggle-eyed). Ibn Khallikan, ii, 405, Also Yaqut, Dictionat the extreme age of ninety years. ary of Learned Men (ed. by Professor Margoliouth), vi, p. 56. 3 Were excited at receiving an invitation to a banquet : Literally, a banquet
excited
me and
a few friends.
<U~jJj
a banquet, generally a marriage feast.

iii,
For
the
names
of the various feasts,
See Khizanat al-Addb,
212-13.
AL-ZAMAN AL-HAMADHAN1
l
71
God, upon whom be the blessings of God and peace were asked to share the shin-bone of a sheep, I would not refuse, and were I presented with a leg of beef I would acSo we proceeded and reached a house, cept it.'
Apostle
'
of
If I
2 Completed and left alone with beauty from w hich it selected and chose what it would. And it had chosen from it its choicest charms, and requested more to give away.'
'
r
whose coverings were unfolded was laid, and we found ourselves among a company who were passing their time amid bunches of myrtle twigs, and bouquets of roses, broached wine vats and the sound of the flute and the lute. We approached them and they advanced to receive us. Then we clave 3 to a table 4 whose 5 vessels were filled, whose gardens were in flower, and whose
\vhose carpets were spread and
and whose
table
dishes were arranged in rows with viands of various hues, opposite a dish of something intensely black was something ex-
ceedingly white, and against something very red was arranged
something very yellow. Now with us at the feast was a
man whose hand wandered
over the table playing the r6le of an ambassador between the viands of various hues, seizing the choicest of the cakes and
plucking out the centres of the dishes, pasturing on his neighbour's territory, 6 traversing the bowls, as the castle traverses the chessboard, stuffing his mouth with morsel after morsel and
chasing mouthful with mouthful. And withal he was silent and were conversing the while, until we got spoke not a word. as far as the subject of Jahiz and his oratory and a description of
We
According
Jahiz himself.
2
to the Tradition of the Prophet : This Tradition See Kitdb al-Baydn wa'l-Tabyin, i, 163. Completed and left : Metre, kdmil.
is
cited
by
O^s^ J*
vii,
^"-^M*
We
clave to a table
For the meaning
of this verb, see
Qur'an,
4
134.
y\'fi~
table
Arabicized from the Persian
Q\J&.
pronounced y\** Khan a

t
;
thing upon which one eats, said not to be so called except when food but see Arabic Text, p. 143.
5
is
upon
it,
Vessels
Literally, cisterns, because of their size.

:
Pasturing on his neighbour's territory

:
Contrary to
cdJii U<*
J^=
Tradition of the Prophet
'Eat from what
is
near tbee,'
72
Ibn al-Maqaffa'
l
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

and
his
eloquence.
Now
the
commencement
said to us
:
of this discussion coincided with the termination of the meal.
We
'
then adjourned from that room and the

in the discussion
man
which ye were engaged in ? what we knew of Jahiz and his language, praise of the elegance of his style and quality of his rhetoric. Then he O people, every work hath its men, every situation its said 2 If every house its occupants and every age its Jahiz. saying, ye were to examine critically, your belief would be falsified.' At 3 this every one curled his lip in disapproval and turned up his But I smiled encouragingly upon him in nose in contempt. I might draw him out, and said Inform us and tell order that He said us more.' Verily Jahiz limps in one department of Now the eloquent man is he rhetoric and halts in the other. whose poetry does not detract from his prose and whose prose is not ashamed of his verse. Tell me, do you know of a single fine
' '
Where are ye So we began to

:
'
of Jahiz ? sider his prose.
'
poem
We
said
' :
No
' !
He said
' :
Come,
let
us con-
It consists of far-fetched allusions,
metaphors and simple expressions. He is simple language he uses, and avoids and shirks difficult words. Have you ever heard of a rhetorical expression of his or of any 4 words ? We answered No He then said to recondite thou like a sample of speech which would lighten Wouldst me
'
a paucity of tied down to the
'
'
Ibn al-Maqaffa' A Persian convert to Islam renowned for the elegance of and penmanship. He made several translations from the Pahlawi into Arabic. The best specimen of his elegant and chaste Arabic is the Book of Kalila and Dimna ultimately derived from the Sanskrit Fables of Bidpai, brought over to
l
:
his style
was put
8 3
Persia in the reign of al-Nushirwan. By command of the Khalifa al-Mansur, he to a horrible death on a charge of heresy in A.H. 142 (A.D. 759-60) by Sufyan the governor of Basra. Ibn Kallikan, i, 431.
Every situation hath

^\J=x>3}\
its
saying
Arab Proverbs,
ii,
456.
Literally,
s-^
& yS*z
curled his
Up in disapproval
showed him
the tooth of denial.

_
. Cj
- _G-
Recondite
Literally,
unheard
of
rare
another
reading
rhymed speech.
Jahiz's merits were a subject of controversy.
Abu Hayyan Tanhidi wrote an encomium on him whereas the orthodox attacked Hamahim as a Mu'tazilite [See al-Farq bain al-Firaq, (A.H. 429), pp. 160 sqq]
.
dhani evidently shared the orthodox opinion regarding this writer. In this Maqama we have an indication of Hamadhanfs idea as to what constituted a good style. It
is
forward language.
evident he preferred rhetorical conceits and the recondite to simple and straightOf this the Maqamat affords many illustrations.
thy shoulders
' :
73
'
I and disclose what thou hast in thy hands ? Then open thy answered By Heavens Yes.' He said 2 for me by means of that which will help in procurlittle finger So I gave him my mantle and he indited ing thee thanks.
l
'
!
'
By the life of him who hath thrown over me his garment By him was that garment filled with glory. A worthy youth cheated out of his mantle by generosity, And it threw not a gaming arrow nor cast a gambling dice. O thou who hast given me thy raiment, look again, And let not the days bring ruin upon me. And tell them who, if they appear, appear as the morning sun
'
And, if they rise in the darkness, rise as the auspicious star, Observe the ties of your relationship to nobility and moisten
her palate,
For the best

prompt.'
of generosity
Cf.
is
fr^
:
^^
Then
'
whose downpour the first is most generous.

that
is
Said 'Isa ibn
Hisham
gifts
I
the
towards him and

mutually friendly,
poured upon him.
company became expansive When we became

is
enquired,
:
Where
the orient of this
full
moon
?'
4
He
answered
is
Alexandria
but there
If
my home, my resting-place
I
were
5
fixed,
But
my
night
pass in
Nejd,
In Hijaz
my
day.'
XVI.
'Isi IBN
THE MAQAMA OF THE BLIND

related to us
r
HISHAM
and said
one of the towns of
Ahw az when my supreme
was passing through object was to

r
!
6 capture a stray word, or add to my store an eloquent expression. My journeying led me to a vast open space of the tow n where lo
1 Lighten thy shoulders : i.e. assumed in thy defence of Jahiz.
relieve thee of the responsibility thou hast
Open thy
little
finger
i.e.
of the little finger indicates avarice, e.g. in counting the first to be closed and the last to be opened.
3
open thy hand and give something. up to ten, the
The
little
closing
is
finger
By
the
life
of
him
Metre, tawil.
:
*
6 6
Alexandria
:
is
my home
Metre, mujtath.
Nejd is ten days journey from, or about two hundred miles east of Yemdma. To capture a stray word : The collecting of rare words was a, )
(j^y
favourite pursuit.
10
74
there
THE MAQAMAT OF
was a company
of people gathered
BADI'
around and listening to
a
I
man who was

knew
tapping the ground with beats which varied not. there must be a tune with those beats. So I withdrew
I
might enjoy the song or hear a chaste expresremained among the spectators, shouldering this one and pushing that one, until I reached the man. I passed my eye over him 1 and I found him to be a person short and portly like
sion, but
not, in order that
a beetle, 2 blind, and wrapped up in a woollen blanket, whirling round like a top, wearing a burnous 3 too long for him, and supporting himself with a staff to which were attached a number of
this he was beating the ground with a rythmiwith plaintive air and pathetic voice proceeding from a straightened breast, he sang
tiny bells.
With
cal sound, while
people my debt weighs down my back/ wife demands her dowry, After abundance and plenty, I have become
*
And my
A dweller O people,
in a barren land
is
and an
ally of
penury.
?
Who O people,
there a generous man among ye, will aid me against the vicissitudes of time
because of
my
poverty
my
patience
is
exhausted,
While now no flowing robes my state conceal. Time with its destroying hand hath scattered What I had of silver and gold
;
In the evening I repair to a house the size of a span, My lot is obscure and my pot is small. If God but seal my affair with good,
He
will
Is there
Who
ease after difficulty. among ye a worthy youth of noble origin, will acquire through me a great reward ?
'
send
me
Even though he value not thankfulness
Hisham tender towards him and my

Said *Isa ibn
1
By Heavens
eyes were
filled
my
heart
became
with tears for him.
passed
^-AJ
my
eye over
him
:
Literally,
from him
is
to.
IsHj-a
Like a beetle
The Qaramba
'the
an insect resembling the beetle

in
called
3
V-lJUr*-
beautiful.'
Khanfasd. It is said Arab Proverbs, ii, 253.

:
Qaramba
first
the eye of
its
mother
is
Burnous
Worn by
devotees in the
age of Islam
the head forms a part.

is
say it is from <j*^\ meaning augmentive. It appears to be a foreign word. ^-Q people my debt weighs down : Metre, rejes}.
Some
any garment of which cotton and the
So
said
I
:
75
gave him a dinar

'
had with me.
And he
delayed not but
What
beauty
is
hers
and how intensely yellow.
Light, stamped and round,
Water almost drops from her lustre, noble mind hath produced her,
it
Yea, a soul of a youth possessed by generosity,
Which makes him do what

thou for
will.
meant, cannot describe the extent of thy worth. Exaggeration * with whom is thy reward. 1 therefore refer thee to God
whom
this praise is
May God
And
have mercy upon him
who
will
bind her to her
pair associate her with her sister.'
The people then gave him what they were disposed to give. Then he left them. But I followed him, for I knew by the quickblindness.
ness with which he recognized the dinar that he was feigning As soon as we were alone 3 I stretched forth my right
left
hand, seized his

disclose to
arm and
said
' :
By Heavens
thou shalt
thy secret, or else I will assuredly expose thee.' Then he opened his pair of almonds. 4 I drew his veil from his
face
me
and behold
al-Iskanderi.
by Heavens it was our Sheikh Abu'1-Fath, Said I Art thou Abu'1-Fath ? He answered
!
'
'
'Nay;
I
am Abu Qalamun,
Choose a base
6 Repel time Never be deceived by reason, Madness
In every hue do I appear, calling, For base is thy age, with folly, For verily time is a kicking camel.
is
the only reason.'

Metre, rejez.
What
6~C _
beauty
- G-
is
hers
:
Cf.
De
:
SSfcyTHariri,
i,
34.
8
3
I refer thee to
Sjk.
God
Literally,
go to God.
Uste We were alone

:
Literally, seclusion strung us together.
Figurative for both eyes. 5 / am Abu Qalamun : Metre, mujtath. Abu Qalamun ; a kind of variegated Greek fabric.
describe a very fickle person.
(Ibn al-Athir,
Pair of almonds
The
expression
is
used to
Kunya Lexicon
(Kitab al-Murass'a,
251.
Edited by Seybold, p. 175.) This maqama has been translated by

8
7
De
Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe,

i,
iii,
Cf. This
yUyTgj maqama
Repel time
with
Cf.
De
Sacy, Hariri,
i,
304.
De
Sacy, Hariri,
75,
where the impostor also feigns
blindness.
76
XVII.
THE MAQAMAt OF
THE MAQAMA OF BUKHARA
:
BAt>I'
SAID
'ISA IBN
3
HISHAM
One
in
friends
bound together
in the cathedral
day, joined to a small company of 2 I friendship, like the Pleiades,

of Bukhara.
alighted
mosque
Now, when the
filled with its congregation, there appeared before us one clad in a pair of worn-out garments. 4 He had slung his wallet over his shoulder, and was bringing behind him a empty
mosque was
naked boy whose endurance was straitened by calamity, while the cold anon -gripped him and let him go. 5 He possessed no but his own skin and had nought that sufficed to protect covering him from a single shivering. The man stood and said None
'
:
will regard this child except
him
to
whom God
this
has been gracious,
and none
is
will be
moved
to pity
like.
by
misfortune but him
who
not secure from the
possessors of
famous fortunes,
embroidered robes, lofty houses, and strongly built castles, ye will not be secure from accident, nor will heirs fail you. Hasten
then to do good, while ye can and be bounteous unto the world we have as long as it is bounteous unto you. For, by Heavens
!
eaten
silk
7
"
sikbaj ",
and
slept on stuffed couches

:
ridden the fleet-footed camel, donned brocaded in the evenings.

Samanid
capital
Bukhara
The
it
old
and now the chief
city of the State of
has been a great centre of learning and religious life. For a description of the literary splendour of this city at the time of the author, see Yatima al-Dahr, iv, 33, and Browne, Literary History of Persia, i, 365. It is still the principal book market of Central Asia. Yaqut, i, 517.
Bukhara.
For ages
Like the Pleiades
Literally,
simile for being inseparably

8
on the string of the Pleiades, a frequently used bound together. Cf, Job, xxxviii, 31.
Literally a
<M
J
f Alighted
day caused me
:
to alight.
In a pair of worn-out garments

let
Literally, the possessor of
two
worn-out garments.
5
Gripped him and

Sikbaj
:
him go
As a cat plays with a mouse.

IfcVj
Arabicized from the Persian odL vinegar and
arabici-
zed into gQ food. Fleshmeat cooked with vinegar. It is said that Khusru Perwiz, who is one of the exemplars of magnificence and luxury among the Arabs, was the first for whom Sikbaj was cooked and that none fed on it without his perDe Sacy, Hariri, i, 224, and Chenery, Translation of Hariri, p. 451. mission.
7
5;^
Brocaded
ft
silk
Probably from
in arabicized
the
Persian
^W^
raw
or
is
fcUjJ
The
change
of the final
into
words from the Persian

silk (i.e.
common.
certain kind of cloth or
garment made
is
of
p~*f\
or
silk)
particularly
article
a name for that which
variegated or embellished.
(Lane,
Lexicon,
c ô
p. 843).
Then, before we knew
it,
77
fortune's treacherous blast
came
and
Then the fleet camel was the turning of the back of the shield. changed for the slow short-paced steed, the brocade for wool, and
I am reduced to the state and garb in which ye see Behold we seek sustenance from barren fortune's breast and ride poverty's sombre steed. We gaze not but with the Now is orphan's eye and stretch forth only the debtor's hands. of this there any generous one who will dispel the blackness Then he sat want and blunt the edge of this misfortune ? Attend down leaning upon his elbows, and he said to the boy
so on until
me.
'
'
The boy said What can I say when this thy speech, did it but come in contact with hair, would clip it, or with a rock would cleave it. Verily a heart not rendered tender by what thou hast said is tough indeed. Ye have heard, O
to thy business.'
*
what ye have never heard before to-day. Let each one of engage his hand with charity. Let him think of his own you Remember me, 2 future and shield, through me, his own child. and I will remember you and give unto me and I will thank you.'
people,
In Said 'Isa ibn Hisham, solaced me but a ring which
'
my
I
loneliness
placed upon his
little finger.
had nought that 3 As

finger,
soon as he got
saying
:
it
he recited praising, the ring upon the

4
the encircled with
itself,
With
a necklace like unto the
Gemini
in
beauty
And
Like a lover meeting his friend, then lovingly and pathetically embraces him.
Selecting one not of his
own
tribe,
As an
ally against fate.
A
1
precious thing
Yet, verily,
whose worth is exalted, more exalted is he who gave it,

words, be their meaning.' 5
:
swear,
if
in glory
men were
Thou wouldst
Said 'Isa ibn Hisham So we gave him what was easy of attainment at once, and then he turned away from us praising us.
Blackness
horse entirely black.
*
:
Plural of s-^*
darkness, or night
it
also
means a
Remember me
His
little
3
4
Qur'an, ii, 147. finger : i.e. the boy's little finger. O the encircled with itself ; Metre, kdmil* Thou wouldst be their meaning ; Cf, Mutanabbi, (Dierterici), p, 460,
.'
78
I
THE MAQAMAT OF
!
BAD!'
was our
followed him, until privacy revealed his face and lo

'
it
Shaikh Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi, and behold the fawn was his I said child. Abu'1-Fath, thou hast grown old and the boy What of the word of greeting and of converse ? grown up
1
;
*
'
He
1
answered
A stranger am 1 when the road doth contain A friend when the tents do enclose us.'
2
us,
knew he was averse him and went away.
By
this
to conversing
w ith me,
r
so
I left
XVIII.
'Is! IBN
THE MAQAMA OF QAZWIN

and said
:
In the year A.H. 75 3 4 I took part in a raid, on the frontier of Qazwin, with those that crossed not a rugged upland, but we also descended raided it.
related to us
HISHAM
We
into a valley, until our
march brought us
to
one of the
villages.
The scorching noon-day heat impelled us to seek the shade of 5 some tamarisk trees in the centre of which was a spring, like
6 unto the flame of a torch, more limped than a tear, gliding We took over the stony ground as glides the restless serpent. what food we were inclined to take, then we sought the shade
and addressed ourselves to the noon-day nap. But sleep had not yet overcome us when we heard a voice more disagreeable than 7 the braying of an ass and a footfall lighter than that of a camel's colt accompanying these two was the sound of a drum which seemed to proceed from the jaws of a lion and which drove away
;
grown old : Metre, mutaqdrib. Metre, mutaqdrib. A pleasing effect is produced here by the Improvisor replying in the same metre and rhyme. 3 The year A. H. 75 : If we accept this date the author goes back to the raid
1
Abii'l-Fath thou hast
stranger
am
made by al-Bara ibn 'Azib appointed governor of Rai in A.H. 24. If we take it to be A.H. 375 which is the more probable date, that would place the episode five years De Sacy has adopted the before Hamadhani is said to have left his native city
.
latter
The year 375 was an eventful one, view (Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 243.) but there is no allusion to a raid on the frontier of Qazwin. See Ibn al-Athir,
29-33.
4
ix,
Qazwin
situated ninety-two miles

5 6
well-known city and the capital of the province of the same name by road from Teheran.
.'
The centre : Literally, the enclosure. The flame of a torch Literally, the tongue
of a torch, in its purity
and
sheen,
7
More disagreeable than the braying of an ass
An
allusion to Qur'an, xxxi,
1
79
I opened both my eyes and the scout of sleep from the people. looked towards him, but the trees intervened between us. So I
listened
'
and
lo
he was reciting to the beat of the drum
invite to
God,
is
there an answerer
To To
a spacious shelter and luxuriant pasture. 3 a lofty garden the fruits whereof 4 cease not to be
near to gather and never vanish from sight. 5 people, verily I am a man returning
From the land of infidelity, and wondrous is my story. If now I have believed, how many nights Have I denied my Lord and committed the questionable
6
thing
Ah
many
the swine the ends of whose soft bones
have
chewed,
And
the intoxicant of which
have obtained a share
Then
But
I
did
raised
God guide me and zealous and effectual endeavour me from the baseness of unbelief,
And
my people, a penitent heart. 7 1 adored the goddess al-Lat, for fear of the enemy, And in dread of the Watcher, I looked not towards the
religion
continued to conceal
my
from
to worship
God with
Ka'ba.
besought God when night enveloped wasted me, Lord, as Thou hast saved me,
I
me and dreadful day
a stranger among them. Then did I take the night as my steed, And I had before me 8 no spare mount, except resolution.
deliver me, for
I
Now
am
Eyes
Literally, twins.
/ invite to
God
Metre, sari'
:
3
4
To a lofty garden An allusion to Qur'an Ixix, 22. The fruits whereof An allusion to Qur'an Ixix, 23.
:
._o\J
is
Returning: In the sense
of repenting.
Another reading
cÛ
bred
which
6
more agreeable to the context. And committed the questionable thing

Al-Ldt
:
Another reading,
have adored
the Cross.
7
One
of the three goddesses worshipped
by the ancient Arabians.
The
8
other two were al-'Uzza and
Manah.
:
^M
Before
me
does not yield a good sense
^W
by
my
side,
would be
better.
80
Suffice thee to
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

know of my journey, that it was in a night, In which the head of a child would almost turn grey, Until I passed from the enemy's territory
Into the guarded domain of the Faith, and then
off fear.
I
shook
When
the signs of the Faith came in sight, Assistance from God and a speedy victory.'
this verse, he said
' :
I
1
said
people I have entered your dwelling with a resolution which love hath not I have left behind my back excited, nor poverty impelled. with trees, and vineyards, damsels 3 of equal age gardens planted
!
Now, when he reached

2
heaped up wealth, a numerous tribe, mounts and slaves But I came equipments, 6 forth as the serpent issues from its hole, and the bird goes forth from its nest, preferring my religion to my worldly possessions,
:
with swelling breasts, and excellent horses,
bringing
my
8
right to
my
I
left,
and
joining
night journey.
Now
pray ye
will ye
my day march to combat the fire with
my
its
own
sparks, and stone the Byzantine empire with its own missiles, and with assistance and aid, with support and succour, and help me in invading them, but not exceeding bounds, every one according to his several ability and in proportion to his wealth ?
I will not regard a bag of ten thousand dirhems too much For each one from me a mite 9 and not decline a date. accept
I will
1 Assistance from God and a speedy victory : Qur'an Ixi, 13. This text was the battle cry of the early Muslims. Cf. De Sacy, Hariri, p. 231, line 4. a / have entered : Literally, I have trodden.
3
4
Damsels
Qur'an
Ixxviii,
32-3.
iii,
Excellent horses: Qur'an
12.
iii,
SbduJkGi Heaped up
wealth: Qur'an
12.
Its
or aggregate of property, or much property heaped up. jûi a large quantity ILkJU aggregated, in the present day is one hundred pounds. weight
O
is
the latter word
corroborative.
ÛajJ
(centenarius)
in
the author's
time was
equal to 120 ratls (Mafatih al'Ulum p. 179, edited by Vloten). 6 As the serpent issues from its hole : i.e. with nothing. 7 Bringing my right to my left : Either (1) bringing the feet together as a preliminary to a determination to step forward, opposite of, I advanced one foot and
drew back the other, as a sign

a sign of resolution, or
8
(3)
Combat
of indecision, or (2) bringing the hands together as clenching the hands as a sign of determination. the fire with its own sparks : This appears to be a proverbial ex-
pression.
9
L&\ A mite
the weight of an ant.
See Qur'an xxxiv,
3.
81
1 there will be two arrows, one of which I will sharpen for future 2 and with it recompense, and the other I will notch with prayer
3 from the bow of darkness shoot at the gates of Heaven.' Said His admirable diction excited me, so I cast off 'Isa ibn Hisham the robe of sleep and ran to the company and lo it was our Shaikh, Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi, with a sword which he had
'
!
Now drawn, and in a garb which he had adopted as a disguise. his eye at me and said when he saw me he winked May God 4 be merciful to him who from his abundance will help us and apportion to us a share of his favours.' Then he took what he
'
:
got,
then
'
led
?
him aside and

5
said
:
*
:
Art thou of the sons of
the Nabateans
He
answered
6
As
it
is
my
state with fate,

in the
such
is
my
state with pedigree.

if it is
My genealogy is
will change.
hands of Time,
hard upon
it,
In the evening a Nabatean

XIX.
am
I,
in the
morning an Arab.'
THE MAQAMA OF SASAN

:
SAID 'IsA IBN
HISHAM
One
of
my
I
Damascus.
Now
one day when
was
journeys set me down at at the door of my house
there suddenly appeared before

1
me
a troop of the sons of Sasan. 7

is
(jUSn
Two arrows
The
primitive meaning of
f&+
missile with
which
one draws lots in the game called al-maisar, then applied to the thing won by him whose arrow is successful in the game above mentioned.
2
UijJlj
With prayer
c
for present need.
From
is
.'
the
bow of darkness
;
reference to the
is
belief
that prayer at
4
night
His abundance
another reading Literally, his superfluous skirts.

effectual
more
oUl^
thirst.
Sa~JTo3^ Q+ &>\\ Art thou of

in the
'
the sons of the
Nabateans?
'
Another,
and more appropriate reading
Constantinople edition, and in the Cambridge MS is Art thou of the children of the daughters of the Greeks ? 6 As 15 my state with fate : Cf. p. 13 of the Text. Metre, Khafif. This makama is a strange medley of references to paganism, and
Christianity
Islam based upon the imaginary conversion of a Greek to Muhammadanism. 7 Sdsdn : Sasdn al-Akbar, son of Bahman, son of Isfandiyar, son of
a prince of Western Persia, is the reputed chief and patron of all beggars and mountebanks. The legend mentioned by Ibn al-Mukaffa is that Bahman being near his death sent for his daughter Homaya, who was pregnant, and settled the succession on her and her child, if the child proved a boy, to the exclusion of his own son Sasan. Sasan indignant at this left the court and lived the life of a shepherd among the Kurds so that his name became a proverb for one who leads a vagabond
Gushtasp
82
f HE MAQAMAT OF BADI'
their faces,
and besmeared their clothes with them had tucked under his armpit a stone with which he beat his breast. Among them was their chief, who was reciting, they alternating with him he intoning and they answering him. And, when he saw me, he said
red ochre while each of
;
:
They had muffled up
'
I desire
from thee
a white cake upon a clean table.

I
I I I I I
desire course salt,
desire fresh meat, I desire
want plucked greens. want some sour vinegar. a sucking kid, I want a young ram.
desire water with ice, filled in a rare vessel.
And
I I
wine from which I may get up drunk, a cheerful cup-bearer, congenial to the minds. desire from thee a shirt, a coat and a turban. 9
desire a vat of desire thick sandals, with
I desire
comb and
a razor,
which I may visit the privy. 3 I want a vessel and a bath

I
glove,
what an excellent guest

art
1 will
am
and what a charming host

I
thou
1
be content with this from thee, and
do not wish to
impose.
Said 'Isa ibn Hisham, I gave him a dirhem and said to him, announce to thee the invitation, and we will soon prepare and
Hence the people
'
life.
giators,
of Sasan, the Kurd ', is a phrase signifying beggars, prestipeople that feign blindness, go about with dogs, monkeys and the like. These people had a cant of their own which was not thought unworthy of study
by the
learned.
Sherishf gives another account of the origin of this term. He says that after the Persians had been subdued in the time of the Khalifa 'Umar, they submitted
peaceably to the conquerors adopting their manners and their religion, and that, being a clever and artful people, they betook themselves to various ways of making a living, one of which was mendicancy. Their way of exciting commiseration was
to give out that they belonged to the royal house of Sasan, or, as we call them, the Sasanians, and to describe the cruel change of fortune and their deplorable condi-
derivation, but
This may be the true that at last people came to call a beggar a Sasani. it is evident from the forty-ninth maqama that I-Jariri adopted the legend which makes Sasan a real person. (Chenery, translation of Hariri, p,
tion.
So
287-8,
i
and Hariri
i.
23.)
:
/ desire from thee
Metre, mujtath.
Cf.
De Sacy Hariri
syn.
Ixii.
i.
159.
cJ^J A
158.
it
turban
*p3!
also a
woman's
veil
or muffler,
iii.
^W3.
See Aghanf
ix.
Heb.
See lexicon.
Isaiah
23 and
Probably from
Ju5l
3
became
halved, alluding probably to the length of the veil.
JL. A vessel : Probably situla, a bucket for drawing water, indirectly borrowed from the Latin. See Dozy Supplement aux Dictionaires, i. 653.
make ready
to receive thee.
83
do our best endeavour and And this dirhem will be thou hast our promise a reminder for thee, so take the ready money and expect the He seized it and went to another man, and I thought promised.' he would address him 1 with the same with which he had
for the future.
We will
addressed me, but he recited

1
excellent one
if
As
in stature
who hath appeared, he were a branch.

!
My
Therefore coat
tooth desires meat, 8 it with bread.

give
it
And bestow something upon me and And

put both thy hands
*
now down,
purse's knot,
4 Drop thy hand from thy waist and undo the
under both thy arms for
me
designedly.'
Said 'Isa ibn Hisham:
When this speech of his had penetrated

it,
my
ear
knew
there
was excellence behind
so
followed him
until
he reached the mother of his house, and I stood away from him so that he could not see me, but I could see him. The princes lowered their veils and behold their chief was Abu'1-Fath,
!
al-Iskanderi
So
I
'
looked at him
and said
*
:
Sirrah,
what
meaneth
*
this fraud
Then he
indited, saying,
This age is ill-starred, 7 And, as thou seest, oppressive

In
it
stupidity
is
estimable
And intelligence a defect and a reproach, And wealth is a nocturnal visitant 8 but
It
1
hovers only over the ignoble.'

:
aUL Would address him
Literally,
meet him.
this
O excellent
Coat
it
one ! Metre, mujtath. with bread : According to the context
seems to be the meaning
rather than the explanation given by the commentator, viz., that meat was something forbidden and therefore to desire it was to render him worthy of stripes.
Drop thy hand : Lower it to the pocket to undo the knotted money. Put both thy hands : An allusion to Qur'an xx. 23. He uses both hands here designedly so as to be sure of getting out some money, not knowing which side 'Isa ibn Hisham carried his cash.
*
5
8 7
Penetrated my ear : Literally, split my ear. This age is ill-starred : Metre, mujtath.
* vJUL Nocturnal visitant : The Taif al-Khayal or Khayal Taif frequently occurs in Arabic poetry. It is supposed to be the image of the person beloved which appears to the lover in his dream. For an excellent account of the Taif al-
Khayal, illustrated by several quotations from the poets, set Journal Asiatiquf, pp. 376-85, April 1838 (M.G. Slane).
84
XX.
'ISA IBN
THE MAQAMAT OF
THE MAQAMA OF THE APE
related to us
BADI'
city of
and said: While I was in the from the Sacred Territory, 2 I was Peace, returning swaggering along, with the swaggering of pedestrians, on the bank of the Tigris, observing those rare sights and closely examining those embellishments until, suddenly, I reached a ring
1
HISHAM
together, excitement agitating their heads and laughter exploding 4 their cheeks. Curiosity impelled me to do what it had driven them to do, till I stood within earshot
of of the voice of a
men crowding
man
without being able to see his face, because
and the excessiveness of the it was a monkey-trainer causing his and behold crowding, monkey to dance and making those near him to laugh. So I 5 bounded as bounds the well-trained hound, and went forward, after the manner of one lame, over the necks of the people.
of the intensity of the thronging
!
.
This one's shoulder throwing
me in that one's stomach, 6 until I made the beards of two men my carpet and sat down after much fatigue. 7 And verily shame choked me with its spittle and
the straitness of the place distressed me.

trainer had finished
his performance
When
the
monkey -
divested
itself of its
people,
I
arose,
and the place of assembly and verily terror had clothed

I
me
lo
'
!
in its garb,
and
!
stood up that
might see his

'
face,
I
and
:
by Heavens it was Abu'1-Fath, al-Iskanderi. Then Sirrah, what meaneth this baseness ?
:
So
he
said
indited
saying
1
The city of Peace: i.e., the city of God. Al-Mansur is said to have called Baghdad the city of Peace Madma al-Salam because the Tigris had been previously called the valley and river of Peace. It is said Abd al-' Aziz ibn 'Ali Ruwwad called it the city of Peace, because in Persian bagh is an idol and dad a gift which made an impious or ill-omened name. Yaqut, i, 678. See also Le Strange, Baghdad
'
during the 'Abbdsid Khalifate, p. 10. * The sacred territory : Mecca.

>
*gSVlr^
Their heads
Literally, their necks.
*
*
Exploded
(literally, split) their
cheeks
Cf. English, split their sides.
$j+\
Well-trained hound: Literally, having a collar of white shells

to avert the evil eye.
It
Such as are worn on the neck hounds were given this collar.
seems that only trained
Stomach
Literally, the navel.

:
great fatigue
Another reading
is
^^\
+>
between two.
1
85
The
sin is the days'
not mine,
So censure the vicissitudes of the nights. By means of folly I obtained my desire
And proudly
trailed
my
embellished
skirts.'
XXI.
'ISA
THE MAQAMA OF MOSUL

related
2
IBN
HISHAM
to
us
and said:
When we
were
returning from Mosul
captured and
intending to go home, the caravan was our baggage and mount were stolen from us
I
The
with
shall
little
life
had
'
left
carried
me
'
:
to
one of
its
villages
'
and
I asked him What answered God will suffice.' Now we were impelled to go to a house whose master had just died and 5 had already stood up. It was filled with the female mourners
me was
Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi.
?
we
devise
He
men, whose hearts grief had cauterized, and whose shirts terror had rent, and with women who had unloosed their hair, and
were beating their breasts, cutting
their cheeks.
is a palm tree for us So he entered the house to look at the dead man whose chin was tied up ready to be carried out. The water had been heated to wash him, the bier had been got ready to bear him away, his garments had been sewn that he might be enshrouded and his grave had been dug that he might be buried. Now when al-Iskanderi had observed him, he seized his throat,
:
their necklaces
and slapping
Said al-Iskanderi
'
In this mass* there
and
in this flock a lamb.'
The sin
is the
This
iii.
maqama
days : Metre, kdmil. has been translated by De Sacy. See his Chrestomathie Arabe,
p. 246.
a
Mosul
its
it
reached
when
A town in Mesopotamia on the right bank of the Tigris. This city : greatest prosperity towards the beginning of the decline of the Khalffate was for a time an independent capital. The dynasty of the Hamdanids
reigned in Mosul from A.D., 934 but the town was conquered by the Syrian Okailids in 990. Yaqut says the three great cities of the world are 'Nishapur, because it is the gate of the East, Damascus, because it is the gate of the West, It appears the city had a Mosul, because it is on the road between the two.
1
its most degraded form. Yaqut, iv, 682 and Encyclopaedia Britannica, xviii, 904. 3 One of Us villages : Mosul had a large number of dependent villages.
notorious reputation for vice in
will suffice Cf. English, The Lord will provide. The female mourners had already stood up To bewail and eulogize the d>jU A wailing woman. deceased.
:
God
Mass
Literally, blackness.
86
felt his
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

carotid artery,
and said
'
:
people, Fear
God
Do
not
bury him for he is alive, he is unconcious and a fit has come upon him. I will hand him over with both eyes open in two He They said Whence knowest thou know that ? days.' when a man dies his armpit becomes cold. Verily, replied Now I felt this man and I know he is alive.' Then they put The fact is as he asserts, their hands into his armpit and said, Then al-Iskanderi arose and went so do what he commands.' to the dead man, stripped him of his clothes, tied on his turban, 1 hung amulets upon him, introduced some olive oil into his Leave him alone, mouth, cleared the house for him, and said and do not interfere with him. If you hear a moan from him, do not answer him.' Then he went out from the presence of Meanwhile the news had spread and circulated that the dead. Pious gifts came to us from every house, the dead was raised. and presents poured upon us from every neighbour, till our purse was swollen with silver and gold and our saddle bags were filled with cheese * and dates. We tried hard to seize an opportunity
*
'
'
'
to bolt, but
*
found none,
till
demanded the fulfilment Have ye heard a whisper 3 from the patient or enquired No.' observed from him a sign ? Then he They answered If he has made no sound since I left him, his hour is not said Let him alone till to-morrow and, verily, if ye hear yet come. Then inform me his voice, ye may be assured he is not dead. that I may prescribe for his recovery and rectify what is wrong
:
'
the appointed time arrived and they of the lying promise. Al-Iskanderi
'
'
with his constitution.' than to-morrow.'
They
:
said
*
* :
beamed
and
No.' when the morning replied the wing of light spread over the horizon of the
He
Do not Now
put
it
off longer
atmosphere, the
men came
in troops
and the women
in pairs,
Introduced
Literally,
made him
lick,
from
he licked his
fingers,
9 *-
or he gave him as a (ju*}) linctus.

*
\&\ k3^ and &^\ cheese: A preparation

ii.
of dry curd.
See
De
Sacy,
Hariri,
8
587.
\y=>j
4
~*\\
A
ytf
whisper
^.r,.?>\
An
allusion to Qur'an, xix. 98.

:
The morning beamed
Literally, the
morning smiled so as
to
show its front teeth. * In troops An allusion

:
to Qur'an, ex. 2.
and they said
'
:
87
We
desire that thou cure the sick

*
:
man and
Let us arise and go to him.' cease prating.' Said al-Iskanderi Then he took the amulets from his hands, removed the turban from his body and said Lay him on his face,' and he was laid Then he said Stand him on his feet.' So he his face. upon was made to stand. He then said Let go his hands,' but he
:
'
fell
a lifeless heap.
Phew
him
dead,
how can
bring
He is ejaculated al-Iskanderi Then shoes * clave unto to life ?

'
'
'
him, and palms took possession of him, and it was so, when one hand was raised, another banged down upon him. Then the
people busied themselves with the funeral obsequies of the dead man and we slipped away fleeing till we came to a village
situated on the edge of a valley
whose
torrent
was eroding
it,
and whose waters were destroying it. Its people were distressed and had not slept a wink in the night for fear of the flood. 4 I will deliver Said al-Iskanderi you from this flood and its mischief, and will turn away its devastation from this village. So obey me and attempt nothing without me.' They said Sacrifice in the He answered What is thy command ?
* :
:
'
'
'
course of this water a red
heifer,
fetch
me
a young virgin,
and pray behind me two genuflexions, so that God may divert the direction of this flood to this desert, and, if the waters are
not turned away,
'
my
We
will
do
that.'
blood will be lawful to you.' They said and married So they immolated the heifer,
:
to pray the two genube careful with yourselves that, people, when standing, there happen no stumbling, in kneeling no fall,
the damsel to him.

flexions
Then he stood up
and said
'
in prostration no slip, in sitting no irregularity, for the moment we blunder our hopes will be disappointed and our action will go for nothing. Be patient over these two genuflexions for their
\+~.\j *
lifeless * o..
heap
Literally, stationary,
fixed.
Another, but less
satis-
factory reading, L.^ on his head.

* cJii.
a boot,
or
,
_a^ a concourse of people.

*
> C
fi-
prefer the former reading.
Cf. text p. 115.
J^*-^ (+*
yJi.U
:
was attacked with sandals.
3 The torrent was eroding it In A.H. 376 the town was visited by an earth quake which caused great loss of life and property. Ibn al-Athfr, ix. 35.
4
/ will deliver
you
Literally, I will suffice you.

;
5 6
Red
My
heifer : Literally, an intensely yellow blood will be lawful to you : i.e., you
may
an allusion kill me.
to Qur'an,
ii,
64.
88
THE MAQAMAT OF
BAD!'
way is long.' Then he arose for the first genuflexion and he stood as rigid as the trunk of a palm tree till they complained of Then he prostrated himself so long that they thought sideache. he had gone to sleep, but they dared not to raise their heads
until
he repeated the takbir

left
second genuflexion, signed to me, and we
and
the
with them.
1
Then he returned to the made for the valley and we know not what fate did people worshipping Then Abu'1-Fath indited, saying
for sitting.
:
not put far from Him the likes of me, 1 But where is the likes of me, aye where ?
May God
How
I
Which
While
marvellous was the stupidity of the people, I took advantage of with ease
!
received from
I
measure of good, out to them nought but fraud and weighed

full
them the
false-
hood.'
XXII.
'Is! IBN
THE MAQAMA OF THE MADIRAH

related to us
HISHAM
and
said
was
in
Basra and
with
me was
Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi, the
summons it and it responds to him, commands it and it obeys him. We were

a
man of eloquence who the man of rhetoric who

present with
him
at
merchant's entertainment and there was placed before us 2 which did credit to the townsfolk, 3 oscillated in a madirah
large dish,
1
announced health 4 and
testified to the Khalifate of
May God
It is interesting to
very state in
not Put far front Him : Metre, niujtath. observe that the author is said to have been buried ia the which he falsely asserted the dead man was in order to defraud the
iii.
too credulous people of Mosul. See Ibn Khallikan, i. 114. This maqima has been translated by De Sacy. Chrestomathie Arabe,
*
247.
Madirah
From '^
it
(milk)
became sour or acid
biting the tongue, or,
as
the Arabs, fleshmeat cooked with pure milk that bites the tongue, until the fleshmeat is thoroughly done, and the milk has become thick, and sometimes
made by
is
they mix fresh milk with milk that has been collected in a skin, and in this case it the best that can be. (Lane, Lexicon art. It is said to have p. 2720).
been the favourite dish of Abu Hurayrah, the Traditionalist, and contemporary of the Prophet. For a eulogy on Madirah see Mas'udi, viii. 403. For a list of the chief
..
- -o
- C
dishes of the Arabs, see the

3
Maqamat
:
of Nasif al-Yazajl, p. 98.
(^.â..lj\
*^*)
Did
credit to the
town people
;
Whose
taste
was more
refined than that of
the Bedawfn.
*
Announced health
Being easily digested.
AL-ZAMAN AL-MAMADHAttl
'
89
!
Mu'awiya, (may dazzled the eye
God have mercy upon him

2
in a dish
which
itself.
3
and wherein
beauty was bestirring
place upon the table and its home in the al-Iskanderi arose 4 cursing it and its hearts, owner, manifesting repugnance to it and its eater and reviling it and its cook. thought he was joking, but behold! the
it
When
took
its
Abu'1-Fath
We
reverse
was the
fact,
and
jest
was the essence of earnestness.
He withdrew from
his brethren.
the table and abandoned co-operation with So \ve ordered it to be removed and it was taken
;
away, and with it the hearts eyes travelled behind it, mouths watered for it, lips were licked for it, livers were inflamed 5 after
and hearts followed in its trail. But we associated ourselves with him in separation from it and we enquired of him the fact He answered concerning it. My story regarding it is more extensive than my misfortune in it and, if I were to relate it to you, I should not be secure from hate and from wasting time.'
it
*
:
We
me
said:
'Produce
it.'
He
to
said
'While
Was
in
Baghdad a
merchant invited
partake of madirah and he clung to with the clinging of a pressing creditor, and of the dog to
me
the companions of al-Raqim, 6 till Now the whole it, so we started.
accepted his invitation to way he was praising his wife

I
Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the

41-60)
(A.D.
first
Khalifa of
the
House
of
Umayya.
allusion to the reputed gluttony of Mu'awiya (al-Fakhri's History, edition of Ahlwardt, p. 131) and the voluptuousness which See also Arab Proverbs, i, 135. is said to have characterized his court.
(A.M.
661-680).
An
which dazzled the eyes

vJ.LJ \ ^*i gj*>
Literally, the eye slipped
from
it.
Wherein beauty was bestirring

briskly to
it.
itself
Another reading
is
V&J
4
>J
The hand moved

:
Abu'l-Fath arose
Cf.
De
Sacy, Hariri,
xviii, 199,
which
is
a very close
imitation and, in parts, almost a literal copy of this maqama. * Livers were inflamed : Arabic writers suppose the liver to be the seat of
affection
and the heart
to
be that of reason.
Cf. Merx's article on the Foie in
the volume dedicated to de Vogue. 6 The dog to the companions of

is
Some will have it to be agree. the name of the mountain, or the valley, wherein the cave was some say it was the name of their dog and others, who seem to come nearest the true signification,
meant by
this
;
al-Raqim word the commentators cannot

:
See Qur'an,
xviii,
8-18.
What
that
it
was a brass
plate, or stone tablet placed
near the mouth of the cave in which
the young men, the companions of the cave, were. Baidawfs Commentary (edited by Fleischer), p. 555. Sale, Translation of the Qur'an, xviii, 217. Hamadhani certainly did not think that al-Raqim was the name of their dog.
12
90
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

to sacrifice his heart's blood
1
and ready
1
for her, eulogising her
cleverness in her art,

Sir, if
r
and her excellent
taste in cooking, saying,
thou w ert to see her with the apron 9 tied round her 3 to the cookingwaist, going about the rooms, from the oven
and from the cooking pots to the oven, blowing the fire with her mouth, pounding the spices with her hands; and if thou wert to see the smoke discolouring that beautiful face and
pots,
smooth cheek, thou wouldst behold a spectacle at which eyes would be dazed. I love her because she loves me, and it is a mark of a man's good fortune that he should be given a lawful helpmeet and that he should be aided by his spouse,
affecting that
and
especially
is
when she
is
of his
own
clay.
In near relation-
ship she
town is and her
my paternal uncle's daughter, her clay is my clay, her my town, her paternal uncles are my paternal uncles
origin
is
my
origin.
But
in
disposition she
is
more
He bored 4 generous than I am, and in form more beautiful. me with his wife's virtues till we reached his quarter, whereupon It is the best quarter he said Sir, seest thou this quarter ?
' :
in
Baghdad. Worthy men vie with one another for settling in for it, and the great ones jealously compete with one another live in it. Verily finding quarters in it but none but merchants 5 house is in the middle a man is known by his neighbour. My
;
of
its
belt
of buildings
and
is
the point in the centre of

dost
its
circle.
How much
it ?
dost thou think, Sir,

*
was spent upon each

not
house in
certain.'
gracious, what thou sayest much only and he heaved a terrible mistake Praise Him who knoweth all a deep sigh and ejaculated And we reached the door of his house and he said things This is my house, how much dost thou reckon I spent on this I window ? By heavens spent upon it beyond my means
I
:
' ' '
!
!
Say approximately, if thou Much.' Said he replied :

' '
:
know
for
Good
'
'
Heart's blood
Also the soul or
spirit,
e.g.
_C C &Z^Q> u^^.^- His spirit

..
..
..
went
2
forth.
Cf.
^* He sucked
:
the breast of his mother.
&+^\ Apron
.yJ
Literally, a piece of cloth torn off.

:
An
oven
Old Persian
tanura.
Assyrian
tenura.
Hebrew
(Genesis, xv. 17).

4
In Arabic a loan word from Aramaic.

-
^jAfci*
4
He
is
:
bored
me
Literally,
he
split
me. Cf.
\Ju>
a splitting headache.
i,
A man
Its belt
by his neighbour: Cf. Literally, its necklace.
known
Arab Proverbs,
303.
and what
find its
91
of
?
exceeded
the
limits
poverty.
I
How
dost
thou
workmanship and shape

its like ?
adjure thee by God, hast

1
thou ever seen

its
Observe the fine finish of it. Ponder curves which seem to have been drawn with a compass.
Regard the
how many It is made

it
Of the carpenter in the make of this door. did he make it ? Say, How do I know ? planks 3 from one piece which was neither of teakw ood
skill of
2
r
worm-eaten nor
is
rotten.
When
it
is
moved
it
creaks, and,
it,
struck with the finger, it rings. Ishaq ibn Muhammad the Basarian
!
Who
made
4
made
it,
Sir
when Abu
is,
and he
by
Heavens
art of
man
!
of clean reputation,
making
that
is
doors, deft of
hand
shall
well acquainted with the in the work. What a splendid
man
By my
life I
employ none but him

;
for
such
I
work as
bought
for
it
this.
Now
this
knocker
dost thou observe

7
it ?
in the fancy bazaar
from 'Imran, the curiosity

brass
dealer,
three
?
Mu'izzi dinars/
How much
does
it
contain,
Sir
There are
I
door.
it.
By
in it six pounds. It revolves on a pin in the thee by God, turn it, then sound it and observe adjure the preciousness of my life to thee, do not buy knockers
*
8 Then he knocked except from him, for he sells only the best.' 9 at the door, we entered the vestibule and he said May God
:
prosper thee,
house
and not destroy

!
thee,
wall
How
strong are thy walls, substantial thy superstructure, and how firm thy foundations By heavens observe its staircase, the
!
entrance and the
exit,
and ask me
How
didst thou get

or
?
it ?
A compass

?
:
j^>
jî
Of how many planks

3
*
Literally, of
how many
gC
Teakwood
Arabicized from the Sanskrit saka.

:
Hindustani
Clean reputation
dlJ
Literally, of clean clothes.
What a
splendid
man
that
is
well-known expression
See Wright's Grammar, ii, 150. Mu'izzi dinars : The coin of Mu'izz al-Daula (A.H. 303-56). The Buwayhid The life of this sovereign is prince who ruled at Baghdad from A.H. 334-56. given by Ibn Khallikan, i, 555.
of admiration.
6
7
L^fA\ Brass
read
:
the best
plural of ,jl
:
a precious thing.
vestibule
g-JU and
^j an entrance
or passage of a house, between the outer door or gate.
92
THE MAQAMAT OF BADT

devices didst devise before thou didst appropriate
'
How many
I
it ?
had a neighbour surnamed Abu Suleyman, who lived in this He had of live stock 1 more than enclosure could quarter. He contain, and of dead stock more than could be weighed.
died
may God have mercy upon him

2
and
left
a son
w ho
7
squandered
it
4
backgammon
on wine and music and scattered it between and dice. I was afraid lest excessive need should
of.
compel him to dispose
the house and he should

it
sell
it
w hile
r
in a state of vexation, or
expose
it
to ruin, in
which case
should
see the chance of buying regrets to my dying (lay.
lost,
I
So
and wear myself out with vain took some stuff not in demand,
carried
to
it
buy and the promise breaker considers it a present. And I asked him for a bond for the goods, so he granted it, and signed 5 it in
it
;
to him and offered it to him, and I bargained with him on credit and the unfortunate one counts credit a gift,
demanding payment till the extremities of the garment of his state became frayed, and then I came to him and asked him to pay the debt. He begged for time and I respited him. 6 He next asked for some stuff besides that so I brought it and asked him to mortgage his house to me as a security in my hands, and he did Then I gradually involved him in bargains till it came to so. selling the house and it was acquired by me through rising There fortune, and helping fate, and the strength of my arm. 1 is many a toiler for an idle sitter. And, praise God, I am exceedingly lucky, and in such matters worthy of commendation,
;
*
my
favour.
Then
pretended to be indifferent
in
Live stock : Wealth, gold or silver, primarily camels or cattle, or sheep or goats, because most of the wealth of the Arabs of the desert consisted of It is here used in the primitive sense as appears from the context these. e^v*ê^
the
dumb,
1
as opposed to J^LUS^ having the faculty of producing sound.
.liy^
Squandered
:
it
He scattered
it,
or tore
it
to pieces.
Cf Qur'an, xxxiv,
.
18.
8
Music
oyJ^
Literally, playing
:
upon the reed or

:
pipe.
Backgammon
some
fay,
or trick track
A Persian word also called
^
in
oy because
,
invented, as
*
by Ardeshir, son of Babak, a Persian King.

it
:
UjJte
this
He signed
him
:
That
is,
he drew up and signed the bond

iv, 37.
my
favour.
For
6
?
meaning
is
of this verb, see Qur'an,
An allusion .tq Qur'an, vii, 13 and 14. a toiler for an idle sitter Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 544, many used for a person whose wealth passes to some one who has done nothing for it. Unearned increment '. See Constantinople edition, p. 5.
/ respited
There
'
and
this
will
suffice thee,
Sir.
93
For many nights

lo
!
had been
sleeping in
my
house with those therein when
there was a
the door, I said, 'who is the wandering nocturnal And behold it was a woman with a pearl necklace visitor?' with a surface as clear as water, and in fineness like unto the
knock
at
So I snatched it from her mirage, which she offered for sale with a plundering snatch and bought it for a low price and soon
!
it a manifest gain and plentiful profit, I have the help of God, the most High, and thy good fortune. by related this story to thee that thou mightest know the proonly
there will be derived from
pitiousness of
my fortune
Great
in
!
commerce.
from
stones.'
God
None
brings forth water can inform thee more truly than

I thee than thy yesterday. was taken from the house of
'
Luck
thyself and naught is nearer bought this mat in an auction.
to
It
the Furat family For a long time
and plundering. I had been seeking one like it, but had found But time is pregnant and it is not known what it will none. 3 Then it so happened I w as at the Taq gate and bring forth.
at the time of sequestration
r
1 Luck brings water from stones : Apparently a proverbial expression. It occurs again in a slightly modified form on p. 205 of the Text. 2 The Furdt family : A highly distinguished family in the service of c=,-Vji5\
J"^
Khalifate during the fourth century, remarkable for their official and administrative There were four brothers who rose to eminence ability for several generations.
during the reign of Muqtadir b'illah (A.H. 295-320) namely, Ahmad Abu'l-'Abbas, 'Abdullah Ja'far, Abu 'Isa Ibrahim, Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali. Their father was
Ibn Musa, an agent to the Khalifa Muntasir (A.H. 247). Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali, the most celebrated of the four, was three times wazir to alMuqtadir. He was a man of great natural gifts, an excellent administrator, and In A.H. 299 the Khalifa dismissed him and seized all his liberal to extravagance. vast wealth. This is the incident Hamadhani refers to. From the time of his dismissal to his reinstatement in 304 the income from his estates to the public treasury amounted to no less than seven million dinars. On his reappointment in 304 the
Khalifa showed him the highest favours, sending him seven cloaks of honour and 300,000 dirhems. Two years later he was again arrested and thrown into prison. In 311 he was restored to his post for the third time and marked his resumption of office by acts which have left a stain on his memory. He exacted large sums from
Muhammad
many people and allowed

al-' Abbas,
the late wazir.
The
his son, Abu'l-Muhassin, to put to death following year he fell for the third time,
Hamid ibn when it was
found that he possessed upwards of a million dinars, and that his landed property produced an annual income of a million dinars. A few days later he and his son Muhassin were put to death by Nazuk the chief of the police. (See Ahmedroz,
Wazirs of Hildl. Ahlwardt), p. 311,

3
Ghenery's translation of Hariri,

it
p.
469 and al-Fakhri (edition,

:
It is.not
known what
forth.
(Time) will bring forth
Cf. English,
we know
not
what a day may bring
94
this for
THE MAQAMAT OF
was being offered for sale it such and such a sum
its fineness,
BADI'
in the streets.
So
weighed out
of dinars
adjure thee by
colour, for
If
God
of
observe
softness,
workmanship, and
rarely.
it is
great worth.
Its like is
found but
thou hast heard of
Abu
And he has a 'Imran, the mat-weaver, it is his handiwork. son who will succeed him and who is now in his shop. Fine
mats can only be had of him.
except at his shop.
By my
life
do not buy mats

is
Now
the righteous
man
his brethren's
counsellor, especially of him whose person is rendered inviolable by eating at his table. Let us return to the story of the Madirah
for noontide has approached.
I
'
Boy
the basin and the water

is
'
!
said
'
Great
easy.'
become
God The
!
perhaps deliverance
slave
nigh,
came forward.
He
asked
and escape has Dost thou

*
is of Greek origin, brought up in 'Iraq. Step forward boy, uncover thy head, bare thy calf, tuck up thy sleeves, The slave did so. Said the expose thy teeth, advance, retire merchant: who bought him ? By Heavens Abu'l-'Abbas bought
see this slave, he
'
'
him from the

ewer.'
2
slave dealer.
it
it
The
it
3
turned
slave put round, looked

it
Put down the basin 1 and bring the down and the merchant picked it up,
over,
sounded
it
and said
Look
at
this brass,
seems
like a
it is
Its brass is
worn-out curio.
of kings it ? 'I
'
;
Syrian and It has

its
burning brand, or a piece of gold. of 'Iraq workmanship. It is not a

the round of the palaces
'
known and made

!
beauty and ask me When didst thou buy bought it, by Heavens in the famine year and I have And he brought it. preserved it for this hour. Boy, the ewer And the merchant took it up, turned it over and said The is of one piece with it. This ewer is fit only for this basin, spout and this basin is only suitable for this company 4 and this company suits only this house and this house is not adorned
consider
' !
'
except by this guest.

The basin
a basin, a ewer-stand.
*
:
Boy
pour the water, for food time

cfc~i->,
is
Arabicized from the Persian u^~i& or
Zendtasta,
with a
<J^
__
The ewer

in the plural
^>^
a water-pot
spout
3
4
The word occurs

t+jb Copper
:
9^
<J>;^
in
Qur'an,
Ivi, 18.
read
:
o~-jJ\
Company
^~J
the upper end of a

1
chamber, hence a place or seat of honour, and then the company itself. It also means a game. Cf. the remark of Imr al Qais, I did not wish to spoil thy game. (Aghdni, viii, 65.) For other uses of this word see Hariri, i, 276.
'
nigh.
I
it
95
pure
How adjure thee by God, dost thou see this water ? Blue as the eye of the cat, clear as a crystal wand, is
!
drawn from the Euphrates, and it is used after standing for the night when it has become like the flame of a torch and translucent
as a tear.
And
the importance
is
not in the water carrier, but in
Nothing proves to thee the purity of the vessel more than the purity of the liquid. Now this napkin, ask of correctly me its story. It is a fabric of Jurjan and a production of It fell to my lot and I bought it. My wife took a Arrajan.
the vessel.
portion of
it
for
drawers
and
it
it.
made some
3
Her drawers took twenty
cubits
and
I
into a napkin. forcibly wrested this

of
it
4
much from
embroider
her hand, gave

it
to the embroiderer
to
make and
as thou seest
it
Then
brought
it
back from the
market and stored

guests.
away
The common
box and preserved it for refined Arabs have not defiled it with their hands,
in a
with the corners of their eyes, for every precious 5 Boy the thing has its day and every instrument its people. for the discussion table for the delay is great, and the bowls
nor
! ! !
women
The
has been long, and the food slave brought the table.
for
words have been multiplied.'

it
The merchant then turned

Arabicized from
suffix
over
l-
of J\j
Drawers or browsers
the Persian
^\yLi.
probably from the stem

feet.
JA
Cf.
a thigh and the
fo
an inner breeches or
it
drawers reaching to the

sian garment.
Greek (rapafiapa. Suidas regards

Daniel,
iii,
as a Per-
Cf.
Hebrew
]")rpbm<3
27.
tradition of the Pro-
phet enjoins the wearing of the (JjjV** by both sexes. (Hariri, i, 78.), Hariri, 'With a uses the word JV> in the phrase with i, 78, J\jj- ) J^>^-~> J\j^~ be a corruption of J\jjshirt and trowsers'. Although, conceivably, J^- may
the words appear to have connoted different articles of dress. and they coated it with pitch '. 2\&\ (* \&}*j~ )
'
See Text,
p.
240
J>JU/*
(mantile).
a napkin, kerchief
Cf.
or towel
Arabicized from the Latin mantele
Spanish mantilla.
I,
The
mindil or kerchief of St. Veronica delivered
Romanos
3
\j
by the Khalifa Muttaqi (A.H. 322-29) to the Byzantine emperor, exchange for a large number of Muslim prisoners of war. Annals of Abu'l-Fida, p. 424.
up
in A.H. 331
at the request of the latter, in
j Cubits
The space from
the extremity of the elbow to the extremity of

(fists),
the
little finger.
It is
divided into six c^LiJI
the measure called a cubit,
about eighteen inches.

4
)\Je>
Embroidery
\\
J from
^jjo
A J to embroi-
der, to embellish.
*
Every precious thing has
its
day
Apparently a proverbial expression.
96
THE MAQAMAT OF
it
BAD!'
:
sounded
skilful
with his
fingers,
and
bit
it
with his teeth and said
'May God
breadth of
prosper her artisans!

its
Baghdad, how By Heavens!
excellent are her goods and observe this table, look at the
surface, the lightness of its weight, the soundness

:
and the beauty of its make.' Said I 'This is the make but when is the meal?' He answered Immediately. But the table, its legs are a part of it.' Boy quick, the food 2 Said Abu'1-Fath, My spirit boiled, and I said: 'There remaineth the baking and its implements, the bread and its properties, the wheat and whence the grain was first bought, and how the transport was hired for it, in which mill it was ground and the vessel in which it was kneaded, which oven was heated and which baker was hired; and there remaineth the wood, whence it was gathered, when it was brought in, how it was stacked till it was seasoned arid how -it was stored until it Then there are left the baker and his description, the dried. 3 apprentice and his qualification, the flour and its praise, the and then there leaven and its tale, the salt and its savour the dishes 4 and who had them, how he procured them, remain, who used them and who made them. Then the vinegar, how its grapes were picked, or how its ripe dates were bought, how its press was plastered, how the essence was extracted, how its jar was besmeared with pitch and how much its vat is worth. Then there remain the vegetables and the devices whereby they were picked, in which vegetable garden they were arranged, and the Then skill displayed to produce them free from impurities. Madirah 5 and how its meat was bought and there remaineth the its extra fat was got, how its cooking pot was set up, how its fire
of its timber
: !
!
&+3c Bit
-.-.-**
it
Tested
its
soundness.
boiled
:
oâA^-i
My
spirit
Another
possible
rendering,
my
soul
(stomach) heaved.
3
Ju*l*
An
apprentice
Borrowed from Hebrew or Aramaic

(Hariri,
i,
"pJ$bn
>
Ara-
maic talmadd a pupil or attendant.

4
20.)
<^>\st.j~3\
The dishes
Said to be arabicized from the Persian
&^5L^ and
S*+
5
a saucer, a short of small bowl-shaped vessel out of which one eats (Lane,
Cf. Armenian, skavardk. There remaineth the Madirah
p. 1392).
Hamadham
here gives the recipe for this
dish, and, following in the strain of the bore,
he cleverly holds up to ridicule the
incoherent garrulousness of his tormentor.
97
was kindled, how its spices were pounded, till, finally, it was wellcooked and its gravy became consistent. But this is a mighty matter and a never-ending affair ? So I arose. He asked Whither dost thou intend to go?' I replied, I intend to go to He enquired Sir, dost thou want a privy discharge a need.' that makes the spring quarters of the prince, and the autumn
'
'
'
'
residence of the wazir appear contemptible

l
Its
plastered
with gypsum and

flat
its
bottom with mortar,
top has been its roof has
paved with marble. The ant slips down from its wall and cannot cling, and the fly tries to walk upon its floor but slides. It has a door whose Venetians are made alternately of teak and ivory and joined together with an
been made
and
its floor
excellent joining so that the guest desires to eat in

'
it.'
Said
Eat thou from this bag, the privy was not in the reckoning.' I went out towards the door, quickened my pace and began Abu'1-Fath to run, while he was following me and shouting the Madirah And the boys thought Madirah was a title of So out of excessive vexation I threw mine, and took up his cry. a stone at one of them, but a man received it on his turban and
And
'
was attacked with sandals, 2 old and new, and with cuffs good and bad and then I was placed in prison and remained in that unfortunate plight for two years. So I vowed not to eat Madirah as long as I lived. Now ye men
it
sank into his
skull.
Therefore
of
*
Hamadhan 3 am I unjust in this ? So we accepted his excuse, we vowed

'

the same
Long since did Madirah sin against the noble base 4 to the good.'"
"
vow and said and prefer the

:
Plastered
3
gÛ
:
.
plaster, or quicklime.
J \ju
)*
<l>Jk&A* /
was attacked with sandals
Cf The maqama of Mosul,
Text, p. 98.
that of the narration

to
Ye men of Hamadhan The scene of the incident is Basra and Hamadhan. On page 340 of the Letters there is an allusion one who swore he would not partake of Madirah and then ate a dog's tail with
3
Q\&A
j"\
\*
monkey's milk
4
JJVJS^ The base
Another reading j\JJ^ the
vile.
This
words.
maqama
It
is all in prose and is remarkable for the large contains no less than thirteen,
number
of foreign
13
98
THE MAQAMAT OF
XXIII.
BADI'
THE MAQAMA OF THE AMULET

:
'Is! IBN
me
as far
HISHAM related to us and said When exile had taken I was content with return as as Bab al-Abwab
l
a booty, 2 but there intervened between it the bounding main 3 with its lofty waves, and the ships going out of their courses with their passengers. But I sought a good omen from God concerning returning, and I sat in a most dangerous place in the
the sea had got the ascendency over us, and the night enveloped us, there overwhelmed us a cloud raining in 4 and marshalling mountains of mist with a wind which torrents
ship.
5 sent the waves along in pairs and the rain in hosts. Thus 6 were left in the hand of death between two seas, while
Now when
we we
!
possessed no equipment but prayer, no device except weeping, and no protection save hope, and we spent a night of Nabigah 7 and in the morning we cried and complained to one another. Now there was among us a man whose eyelid was not wetted
1 The Gate of Gates or Darband, a town in the province of Daghistan on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. To the south lies the seaward extremity of the Caucasian wall (fifty miles long) otherwise known as Alexander's wall, blocking the
:
narrow pass of the Iron Gate, or Caspian Gates. This, when entire, had a height of twenty-nine feet and a thickness of about ten feet and with its iron gates and numerous watch towers formed a valuable defence of the Persian frontier. The walls and the citadel are believed to belong to thetime of Anushirwan (A.D. 531-579). Yaqut says the breadth of the wall was 300 cubits or about 150 yards. It was captured in A.H. 19 by the Arabs under Suraqa ibn 'Amr, also called Dhu'1-Nun. In A.D. 728 the Arabs entered into possession and established a principality in the Harun al-Rashid lived city which they called Bab al-Abwab, or the Chief Gate. here at different times and made it famous as a seat of arts and commerce. It was
noted for
64.)
*
its
linen manufacture.
(Yaqut,
i,
437.
Encyclopaedia Britannica,
viii,
was content with return as a booty That is, I was content with return as Arab Proverbs, i, 537. my 3 The bounding main The sea referred to was the Caspian and this is no exaggerated description of its stormy character. The winds from the north and the
I
:
only raturn.
north-west sometimes blow for days together with great violence, rendering navigation extremely dangerous. * Raining in torrents : Literally extending ropes of rain. 5 In hosts, or troops : An allusion to Qur'an, ex, 2.
6
Between two seas
i.e.,
:
the torrents above and the sea beneath.

allusion to the oft-quoted lines of Nabigah.
night of Nabigah
An
And I passed a night as I should have passed had one of the spotted snakes attacked me, the poison of whose fangs is deadly.
;
99
and whose eye was not moistened he was expanded and dilated Now by Heavens we were of bosom, light-hearted and glad. What hath given and so we said to him perfectly astonished, And he said An amulet thee security from destruction ? whose possessor will not drown, and, if I wished to give each 2 of you a charm, I could do so.' So all inclined towards him and I will were persistent in demanding from him. But he said not do so till every one of you gives me a dinar now, and
1
!
'
'
'
another when he is saved.' Said 'Isa ibn Hisham him down what he demanded and promised him what he stipulated. Then his hand returned to his pocket and he drew forth a piece of silk in which there was an ivory box whose 3 interior enclosed some billets, and he threw each of us one
promises
*
me
We
paid
of them.
When
4
the ship
got
safe
to
shore and
we landed
in the
city, he demanded of the people what they had promised him, It finally came to my turn, but he said so they paid him. Leave him.' Then I said to him, That is thine after thou
: *
acquaintest me with the secret of thy condition.' from the city of Alexandria.' I asked, How was
'
He
it
'
said,
am
that patience
helped thee but forsook us

'
'
He
it
said
Woe,
to thee
5
!
were
not for patience

is
had not
Filled
He
my purse with gold. will not obtain glory who
impatient
in
At what befalls him. Again, what was given me has not now resulted to me. Rather with it do I strengthen my loins
harm
And bind up the broken. And if I were to-day among

I
the drowned,
6
should not have been troubled for an explanation.'
Expanded of bosom
2
That
is,
easy in mind.
A charm: The commentator

is
says (Text, p. 117) that Islam forbids the use of
charms, but the statement

3
unsupported by authority.
:
\ijjus
*
Whose
interior
Literally,
whose
breast.
landed in the city : Literally, the city caused us to alight. A very common construction where the adverb is made the subject of the sentence. * Woe to thee ! : Metre, ramal.
*
We
Compare
this
maqama
with Qarfri, pp. 130 and 494,
100
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

XXIV.
THE MAQAMA OF THE ASYLUM

related to us
'Is! IBN
of
HISHAM
and said
Basra and there was with

9
divine.
And
: '
beheld a
me Abu madman 3 who was

is
:
*
entered the asylum l Da'ud the scholastic

glancing at me.
Said he
'If the
:
augury bird
right ye are strangers.'
And we
answered
this is
I
It is so.'
He
!
said
'
Who
' :
excellent are their fathers
replied
are the people ? How I am 'Ibn Hisham and

'
:
said
Abu Da'ud the theologian.' He enquired Then he exclaimed Yes.' May the
'
'
Al-'Askari
'
faces be disr
4 Verily free-w ill figured and the possessors thereof belongs to God and not to his slave, and affairs are in the hands of God Ye Magians of this community 5 ye live and not in his. predestined lives, and die victims of a merciless fate. Ye are And, if ye had been in your forcibly driven doomwards. 6 houses, verily they would have gone forth to fight, whose 7 If the slaughter was decreed, to the places where they died.'
!
'
fact be as ye describe
it,
why
are ye not just
Ye
assert,
the
g)UjUJ^ The asylum
^bÛ-o
a hospital.
The person referred to is evidently Abu : ibn Abdullah al-'Askari the chief Qadi of the Khalifa Al-Mahdi He was one of the most famous of the Mu'tazilas (A.D. 775-84) at Rusafa. of al-Sam'ani, p. 392). (al-Ansdb
2
Bakr
Abu Da'ud Muhammad
the scholastic divine
^fUs^ a
madman
:
Literally, possessed
by a
jinn,
demon, or demoniac.
Free-will
The
doctrine of free-will was no
new
idea, for
we
are told
that al-'Aasha, a contemporary of the Prophet, was a believer in it and that he had been instructed therein by the 'Ibadites, or Christians, of al-Hira from whom he used to buy wine. Aghdni, viii, 76. The orthodox belief is expressed in Arab Had I been given free choice, I should have chosen'. Proverbs, ii, 405.
'
Jj-txLSeLjl^p [Cf. Life of Mu'tazilis were the partisans of

or predestination
Muhammad
free-will
(Wiistenfeld)
Band,
iv,
1011].
The
(jx)
as opposed to orthodox fatalism

of the origin
i,
(JW).
For an excellent account
and development
281-92
;
of this sect, see Professor Browne, Literary History of Persia,
Hibbert
Lectures, v, 214
Sell,
*
The Magians of
Shahrastani, al-Milal wa'l-Nihal (Cunton's ed.), pp. 29-30 and Faith of Islam (3rd ed.), pp. 194-206.
;
this
community
An
allusion
to
the
spurious
tradition
)&\
tradition.
' 7
'The partisans of free-will are the Magians of the Church',

in the
quoted by Abu'l-Hasan al-'Ash'ari (A.H. 270-330),
Ibdna,
p. 73, as
a genuine
If ye had been in your houses : Qur'an, iii, 148. The places where they died : Literally, sleeping-places,
creator of oppression the creator of death
is
101
why do ye not say, ye not surely know that, Lord as to religion, ye are viler than the Devil, who said, because thou hast seduced me,' 1 for he confessed, but ye have
an oppressor, then
?
is
mortal
Do
'
he believed but ye have disbelieved. Ye say man been given free choice and so he chooses. Never for the agent would not rip open his stomach, nor pluck out his eye, hurl his son from a crag. Is, therefore, compulsion aught
denied
;
!
has
free
nor but
what ye perceive it ? Now compulsion is sometimes enforced by Let it be to your shame reason and sometimes by the scourge. that the Qur'an rouses hatred in you and the Tradition angers When ye hear, he whom God causeth to err 2 shall have no you.
*
guide, ye pervert it.' 4 and tracted for me

disbelieve
it.
And when ye
was shown
'
hear,
east
The
its
earth con-
its
and
west
',
ye
me 5
with
it
ye hear, Paradise that I attempted to pluck its fruits,
When
was so manifested to and Hell fire was so
exhibited to
'
me that I shielded myself from the heat thereof my hand,' ye wag your heads and turn your necks awry. If
*
be said
said,
The
'
torture of the tomb,' ye presage evil, or if it be If the balances 6 bridge,' ye wink at one another.
*
'
The
Its two scales consist of emptiness '. are mentioned, ye say The two sides of it are of If the Book be spoken of, ye say 7 Ye enemies of the Book and the Tradition of what leather.'
:
'
'
'
do ye presage
8
Apostle
Tradition.
1
signs and his and they were the dross of the Then ye separated yourselves from it, therefore ye
evil
?
Do
ye mock God and

9
his
faction seceded
Because thou hast seduced
me
Qur'an, xv, 39.

vii,
Whom God
causeth
to err
it
:
Qur'an,
185.
Ye pervert ^> j*^
and twist it. This is outward sense and an inward meaning i.e. the literal and the allegorical.
4
Literally ye turn away from the apparent meaning an allusion to the Batinites who assert that the Qur'an has an
differing
from the former and known
to
them,
u*;^
***-
The earth contracted for me

Paradise was manifested
Ibn al-Athir, Nihdyah,
ii,
82.
to
me
ibid.
The balances
7
Jk5j\
Of
Justice and equity

:
in
mutual dealings.
Qur'dn,
iv, 6.
(* Of
leather
i.e.,
is
something created and not uncreate.
An
allusion
it is
to the
that the Qur'an something created.
dogma
uncreate and the belief of the heterodox that
God and His signs and His Apostle Qur'an, ix, 66. A faction seceded An allusion to the withdrawal &ijU o^y
: ;
of
Wasit ibn
'At
the founder of the Mu'tazila sect.
102
f HE MAQAMAT OF BADP
!
1 are the dross of the corrupt. Hermaphrodites of the Kharijites Ye are of their opinion except as to fighting, and thou, Ibn 2 Hisham, thou believest in part and rejectest in part. I have
'
heard thou hast selected for thy bed a fiend from among them. Hath God not forbidden thee to take an intimate associate 3
from among them

'
Woe
?
to
thee
'
makest thou not a good

!
selection for thy seed
And
:
dost thou pay no regard to thy
Then he prayed posterity ? for them better than they and

messengers.'
O God
place
'
:
me
Said 'Isa ibn

return
Abu Da'ud
grace and
until
verily I
Hisham I a reply and we went away from him in diswas conscious of humiliation in Abu Da'ud
'
:
!
me in exchange with thy heavenly could not, nor could

Give
we
is
This
desired to separate. He said 'Isa, by thy father the fact, but what did he mean by a female fiend ? I
'
I know not, except that I had resolved answered, By Heavens ask one of them in marriage, but I had not mentioned what I to
'
!
intended to any one.

said
* :
!
By God
will never
do
it.'
Then he
By Heavens this is none other than a devil in bonds.' So we returned and stood before him. And we hastened to He said Perhaps you both speak and we began questioning. wish to know of my affair that which you denied.' We said Thou wert previously acquainted with our affairs and now thou 4 So explain thy art not mistaken as to what is in our minds. He recited affair to us and reveal thy secret to us.
' : :
'
'
In
am the fountain of wonders. my devising I am the possessor
of high degrees.
Separatists'.
The Kharijites: 'The Seceders, or Theocratic
The
pious fanatics in 'Alf s army who forced him to submit to arbitration at the battle of Siffin (A.D. 657) and afterwards blamed him for doing so, and, because he would
not publicly confess, what they denounced as his disloyalty to God for having submitted the question of the succession to the Khalffate, for which he and Mu'awiya,
No the Governor of Syria, were contending, to arbitration, they seceded from him, less than twelve thousand of these fanatical malcontents separated themselves from
him and adopted
as their war-cry,
&U S\ (*** ^ 'Arbitration belongs to
God
alone'.
Browne, Literary of History of Persia, i, 220. Al-Fakhrf (Ahlwardt), 2 Thou believest in part : An allusion to Qur'an, ii, 79.
8
p. 114.
&\j an intimate
associate
Literally the lining of a
garment
metaphoriiii,
cally an intimate
and familar
friend.
In the text
it
means a
wife.
See Qur'an,
114.
4
*
Minds
I
Literally, breasts.
.'
am
the fountain of wonders
Metre, ramal.
am the camel's hump. I am its withers. In vanity, Alexandria is my home, an aimless Wanderer am I on God's earth. In the monastery I am an abbot,
In truth,
I
2
1
103
In the masjid an ascetic.'
XXV.
'IsA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF THE FAMINE

related to us
HISHAM
and said
was
in
Baghdad
in
5 4 a famine year, and so I approached a company, united like the Now there was Pleiades, in order to ask something of them.
among them
between
replied
:
*
a youth with a lisp
in his
'
tongue and a space

'
his front teeth.
He
asked
Two
conditions in which a
What is thy man prospers

' :
affair
not
that of
a beggar harassed by hunger, and that of an exile to whom The boy then said Which of the two return is impossible.'
breaches dost thou wish stopped first ? for it has become extreme with me.'
'
answered
said
' :
'
Hunger,
sayest
He
What
thou to a white cake on a clean table, picked herbs with very sour vinegar, fine date-wine with pungent mustard, roast meat
ranged on a skewer with a little salt, placed now before thee by one who will not put thee off with a promise nor torture thee with delay, and who will afterwards follow it up 7 with golden
goblets of the juice of the grape
a large company,
?
? Is that preferable to thee, or cups, variety of dessert, spread carpets, brilliant lights, and a skilful minstrel with the eye and neck of a
full
gazelle
1
|Vil
5
8
The camel's hump

:
Figure for height or prominence.
Withers
In this
Figure for less high, or less prominent.
the author introduces an extremely polemical subject, the Abu'1-Fath in the character of a madman doctrines of free-will and predestination. in bonds champions the orthodox opinion, and Abu Da'ud and 'Isa ibn Hisham, the
maqama
partisans of free-will, are silenced and discomfited. Hamadhani's own opinion See his Letters, pp. 27-8. clearly against the doctrine of free-will.
was
4 A famine year : Probably A.H. 382 when famine prices prevailed in Baghdad and bread was 40 dirhems a pound (Ibn Al-Athir, ix, 66). A.H. 373, 376
and 377 were also years of severe drought in 'Iraq, Ibn Al-Athir, ix. 6 United : Literally, bound together with the string of the Pleiades.
What
g
is
thy affairl Cf. Qur'an, xx, 96.

:
Follow up with
Literally, give thee to drink a second time,
104
'
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

thou desirest neither this nor that, what
meat,
river
3
If
is
1
thy verdict
the
regarding fresh
2
fish,
fried
brinjal,
wine of
Qutrubbul picked apples, a soft bed on a lofty place, opposite a rapid river, a gushing fountain, and a garden with streams in
'
it ?
'Isa
ibn
of all three.'
I am the slave Hisham related So I said And so am I their servant, if they The boy said
' : : '
were only present.'
then said
'
:
May God
not bless thee
Thou
hail
?
hast revived desires

'
thou hast gripped their
which despair had destroyed, and now 4 From which ruins dost thou palate.
5
He
I
said :of the citizens of Alexandria,
'
am
Of sound and pure stock among them. The age and the people thereof are stupid, Therefore I made my stupidity my steed
!
'
XXVI.
'!SA IBN
I
THE MAQAMA OF THE EXHORTATION

:
HISHAM related to us and said when I was in Basra was going proudly along until my walk led me to an open space in which many people were assembled before a man who O people, ye have was standing, admonishing them and saying
' :
not been
left
7
without control.'
Verily joined
to
to-day
is
to-morrow.
Ye
prepare against
this life is the
are descending into a deep place, therefore able. And verily after it what force ye are
8
judgement, therefore get provisions ready for it. Behold there is no excuse, for the highway has been made
God's case against you from Heaven and by examples on earth.

clear unto you.
with knowledge created the race,
by revelation Verily He, who maketh the dry bones live.

is
clear,
!
Lo
Brinjal: Arabicized from the Persian

English Brinjal
2
;
^j\5ool>
;
Sanskrit
Banganah
the Solatium melongena, mad-apple

:
or egg-plant.
Qutrubbul
its
excellence of
their parties of
between Baghdad and 'Okbara noted for the was much frequented by the people of the former city in pleasure and debauch.
village situated
It
wine.
Pickled apples
4
Cf. Qur'an, xx, 25.
^j?
6 6
7
$ tlvlJ
Thou hast gripped
their palate
Deprived them of realization.
of the citizens of Alexandria : Metre, kamil. Left without control : An allusion to Qur'an, Ixxv, 36.
/
am
Verily joined to to-day is to-morrow
Freytag,
Arab Proverbs,
163.
i,
45.
ôU* Judgement
Literally, return.
is
God's case against you
clear
Cf. Qur'an,
iv,
Is not the
?
105
world indeed a house of probation and a bridge to traverses it is saved, but he who hoards up the world repenteth. Behold it has laid the snare and spread the Therefore whoever pastures there will be grain for you.
cross
He who
entrapped,
and whoever picks up the grain
will be ensnared.
;
1 poverty was the garb of your Prophet, therefore wear it but wealth is the robe of rebellion against God, therefore put it not on. False are the imaginations of the perverters of the
!
Lo
truth
dant.
in
who have
4
Verily after life is the grave,
denied the Faith and made the Qur'an discorand ye were not created
'
sport.'
Therefore beware of
the heat
of
Hell-fire
and
hasten to the eternal home.
Verily knowledge, whatever its Ye failings, is good, and ignorance is bad under all conditions. are surely the most wretched overshadowed by the heavens if, through you, the learned are in distress, for men are judged by 5 their leaders, and, if the people are led by their influence, they
are saved by their responsibility. Men are divided into two classes, the observant scholar and
the striving student, as for the rest, they are abandoned ostriches and beasts pasturing at pleasure. Woe to him of high degree
commanded by one beneath him, and woe something who is ruled by one ignorant of it
'All ibn
:
to the
I
knower
of
have heard that
was standing admonishing the people and O soul, how long wilt thou rely upon life, and depend saying Hast thou not taken the world and its building up ? upon
al-Husain
*
warning from those of thy ancestors who have passed away, from
1
C-
Poverty was the garb of your Prophet: > '
An
allusion
to
the
tradition
(^^J
*
jS&\)
Poverty
is
my
glory
'.
For poverty of the Prophets, see Tha'alibf,
Thantar al-Kutub,
(.jjj^l*^
p. 49.
0y^ The imaginations

is
of the perverters of the truth
j^L*
from 1^5 he disputed or wrangled,
applied to one
to
who swerves from

it.
the truth
especially
and introduces
into
it
that
which does not belong
^Ji^JU^
is
applied to the Esoterics (Batinites) who assert that the Qur'an has an outward and inward sense, the latter differing from the former and known to them. According
to al-Farq bain al-Fir'aq, they denied the resurrection.
3
4
*
Hibbert Lectures,
xv, 91.
p. 218.
have made the Qur'an discordant : Qur'an, Ye were not created in sport : Qur'an, xxiii, 117.
:
Who
Led by their influence Literally, by their reins. 'AH ibn al-Husain, : (A.H. 38-94), generally known by
was the grandson of
'Ah'.
the appellation Zain
al-'Abidin,
Ibn Khallikan,
ii,
2Q9-11,
14
106
those of thy friends
of thy brethren
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

whom
who have been
the earth has covered up, from those smitten, and from those of thy
?
!
fellows
who have been

upon
its
transported to the house of decay
In the bowels
of the earth
are they after having
been
back.
Their virtues decaying and forgotten therein. Their houses are emptied of them and their enclosures
are void,
And
the Fates have driven

left
them deathwards.
they had collected
They have
therein,
the world and what
And under
the earth the pits have embraced them.'
one after the other, have Death's hands snatched away, and what changes have they produced by their calamities and how many great men have they concealed beneath
ages,
How many
the dust
1
And thou art intent upon With its suitors for her,
superior substance.
the world, vying covetous and boasting of thy
Thou
goest into danger and art unmindful. Didst thou but understand, wouldst thou not what danger thou exposest thyself ?
verily the
know
to
And
And
man, who endeavours and

is
strives after this
world,
neglects the next,
without doubt a
loser.'
Mark the dead nations and defunct kings, how the days overthrew them, and death destroyed them, so that their traces 3 have been obliterated and but a tale of them remaineth.
They are decayed in the dust and devoid Of them are the assemblies, and the spacious apartments have become desolate.
*
1 '
And
In the bowels of the earth : Metre, tawil. thou art intent upon the world : Metre, tawil.
f&fi\
cs-**r*>^
:
Their traces have been obliterated
Contrast this statement
with the lines
lK
*
These are our works (literally remains, or traces) which prove what done, look, therefore, at our works when we are gone.' 4 They are decayed in the dust : Metre, tawil,
we have
They have
therein,
left
lO?
the world and what they
had collected
And none of them succeeded but the perseveringly patient. And they have alighted in an abode where there is no
exchange of visits For how can there be intercourse between the tenants of
;
the
tomb
seest
Thou
nought but the
level
grave,
in
which they
abide,
And
over which the whirlwind carries the dust.'
hast thou seen possessed of might and power, armies and allies who has gained the world and obtained from
Many
man
it
his desire.
He
built
forces.
fortresses
and
castles
and collected
3
precious things and

1
But the treasures diverted not
death's
hand
when
it
appeared suddenly desiring him. Nor did the fortresses surrounded
by moats and the which he had built, protect him castles, No device overcame death for him, nor were his armies
!
eager to defend him.'
people beware beware and hasten, O hasten away from the world and her mischiefs, and from the traps she has laid for
you, from her appearing in her adornment before you and in her
loveliness raising her eyes towards you.
'
But
less affliction
than thou seest

it
sufficeth to
summon
thee to abandon
and
to exhort thee to piety.
Castles
Plural of
6u-J
A
Arabicized from Talmud.
Aio(TKOVpia$ or the like, from See Bukharf (edited by klOffKOVpOi (Stephanus Byzanthinos). Also a wine hall or saloon (Hariri i, 140). The word also occurs 9. Krehl) i, in the lines of Ibn al-Hajib on the Aiwan (0\j>\) quoted by Yaqut, i, 426.
name
of various villages, probably originally
from
country seat.
,
It is
These pavilions, pleasure houses, buildings and castles of our Kisra Anushirwan. probable Hamadhani had the Aiwan in mind when he composed or quoted
these lines.
8
But But
the treasures diverted not death's

less affliction
than thou
seest
hand : Metre, tawil. Metre, tawil.
108
THE MAQAMAT OF
So
and be not negligent, for thy life thou art returning to the abode of death.
strive
is
BADI'
and
thou
fleeting,
And
seek not the world, for the pursuit of

it,
it,
even
if
obtainest thy desire from
injures thee.'
How
with
at
it,
can a wise
is
man
covet, or a sagacious person be pleased

its
when he
him who
?
4
ye not wonder sleeps, while he fears death, and hopeth not for
sure of
perishing
Do
escape
1 Nay, nay, but we delude our own souls and worldly delights preoccupy them to the exclusion of what they apprehended. And how can he enjoy pleasure who is certain of the
standing-place of justice where actions shall be examined into ?

It is
all
9
secret thoughts
and
that
as though we thought there is no resurrection and we are left at liberty and that, after dissolution,
is
there
no future
state for us.'
How many
fallen,
of those,
world deceived, and
who have many a one
inclined towards
of those intent
4
it,
hath the
it
upon
has
and
it
him
for his
him not from his stumbling, It healed him not of his falling.
raised
nor excused
sickness, nor
relieved
'
him
of his pain.
Rather has it brought him down, 6 after his possessing might and rank, To evil watering-places from which there is no climbing
out.
6
So when he saw there was no
escape,
and that
Nay, nay, but we delude our own souls

Secret thoughts
9.
and actions
: Metre, tawil. shall be examined into
An
allusion
to
Qur'an, Ixxxvi,
3
ylLi Future state Plural of j~e* literally, a place or state to which a person or thing eventually comes. * It raised him not from his stumbling : Another and better reading
: ;
:
&Cwo (f* 5.ôu>' ^J.
&>ytrs
y*
<iift>
^,
It
excused him not his stumbling, nor raised
him from his falling. 6 Rather has it brought him down : Metre, tawil. 6 From which there is no climbing out Cf. Kitdb al-Bayan wa'l-Tabyln
:
i,
119,
It
109
was death, from which the helpers could not save him,
sought repentance, if length of repentance could avail him, And his heinous crimes caused him to weep.'
over his past sins, and felt regret for what he was leaving of the world, when weeping profited him not, and excuse delivered him not.
He
He wept
His sorrows and cares encompassed him, 1 2 And, when excuses baffled him, he despaired. Therefore he hath no saviour from the pains of death, Nor helper from that which is avoided.
'
His throat rattled 3 before death, While the uvula and the larynx re-echoed
it.'
How
long wilt
thou
mend
thy present
condition
at
the
expense of thy future state, and, in so doing, ride upon thy desire ? Verily I perceive thee to be weak in assurance,
patcher of thy present

merciful
God
condition with thy religion. Has the commanded thee to do this, or the Qur'an guided
thee so
'
Thou
4 destroyest that which remaineth, and buildest that
which perisheth, But neither is this complete nor that abiding. If then thy end come suddenly upon thee, When thou hast acquired no good, hast thou an excuser
with
God
Art thou content that
While thy
religion is
:
should pass and end, deficient and thy wealth complete

life I
'

is
asked one of those present

arrived by
'
Who
?
this
'
He
replied
stranger \vho
night
His sorrows encompassed

(jii\
this
hint
Metre, tawil.
for the Devil
Iblfs is
is
He
despaired
The Muslim name
said to be derived
from
5
verb because he despairs of God's mercy.
probably a corruption
of diabolos.
His throat rattled
From ill
literally,
he drove away a dog.
The
explanation of this sentence seems to be, his soul fled before death while the uvula and the larynx turned it back. Figurative for death throes.
4
Thou
destroyest that
which remaineth
Metre, fawil.
110
THE MAQAMAT OF BADI

:
1 personally, so wait for the end of his discourse, perhaps he will tell his name.' So I waited. Then he said
know him not
Adorn knowledge with practice and show gratitude for power Take the clear and leave the muddy. 3 by practising forgiveness. Then he started off. So I May God forgive you and me followed in his track and said to him O Shaikh, who art
'
!
'
thou
'
He
'
replied
Good Gracious
art
thou not
satisfied
with pondering over externals, that thou madest for the truth and then failed to recognize it ? 3 I am Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi.'
I
said
'
:
May God
:
preserve thee, but what
is
this hoariness
'
He answered
*
A warner, but a silent one, And a guest, but a gloating one,

4
The messenger
Verily he
of death, but
will stay
on
till I
accompany him.'
7
XXVII.
'ISA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF AL-ASWAD

and
said
:
HISHAM
related to us
was suspected on
account of some property I had gotten and so I fled, I knew not whither, until I came to a desert, and my wandering led me to the shade of a tent. I found near the pegs thereof a youth
playing in the sand with those of his
own
age,
and
reciting a
Lc
++*>{*
So wait for the end of his discourse:
Here
uses the word maqama for a religious discourse or sermon. Take the clear and leave the muddy : Take what is free from trouble and leave what is attended therewith.
3 3
Hamadhani
VjÎfc
Failed
to
recognize
Literally,
thou didst change
it,
that
is
thy
Abu'1-Fath chides 'Isa ibn Hisham for thinking him to be some one else when he knew who he was.
mind.
*
.<4
warner, but a silent one

&
Metre, mutaqdrib.
côU" will
stay on
Unlike
any
ordinary messenger
who
delivers
his
message and departs. * An excellent example of a sermon in rhymed prose and verse on the vanity of human life and the certainty of death and judgement, of which the eleventh maqama There is little reference to future reward or punishof Hariri is a close imitation. ment. Cf. Hariri, i, 14 and 121. 7 Al-Aswad ibn Qindn : A famous Bedawin Shaikh. He belonged to the family
)Uiy4
p. 240.
of
whom
an account
is
given by Ibn Duraid in his Kitdb al-Ishtiqdq,
111
poem which was in keeping with his condition but did not 1 accord with his powers of improvisation. And I felt it to be far from him to be able to weave its
fabric, so I said
' '
Young Arab,
* :
dost thou recite or compose this

I
poem
?
:
He
said
Nay, but
compose
it.'
Then he
recited
saying
*
And verily though I be young 9 And the eye disdain me, 3 My demon is the chief of the Jinn And he takes me through all the range
Until he drives
of the poetic art,
away what occurs
of doubt.
Therefore go at thine ease and depart from me.'

I
said
' :
young Arab,
terror has brought
me
'
to thee.
Is
:
there, therefore, safety or hospitality with thee

'
replied hast descended in the very house of safety and alighted He said on the land of hospitality.' Then he arose and
He
Thou
'
seized
me by
is
the sleeve and
went with him

'
:
to a tent
whose
curtains were lowered.'

tribe,
Then he shouted
damsel of the
whose country has rejected him, and whose ruler has oppressed him. Fame, which he has heard, or a report, which has reached him, has driven him to us, so give him shelter.' The damsel said Stay, O townsman.'
here
a neighbour
' :
O townsman, stay and fear no ill,* For thou art in the house of al-Aswad ibn Qinani The mightiest son of woman from Maa'd and Ya'rub, And the most promise-keeping of them in every place. The best striker with the sword among them in defence
1
And
of his neighbour, the greatest smiter with the spear in protecting him. It is as though death and bounty were in his hand
his powers of improvisation That is, his powers were greater than could be expected of a youth of his age. a And verily thotigh I be young : Metre, rejez. This poem is quoted by Jahir. See Jahiz, Haywdn, i, 146, and Letters of Abu'l 'Ala al-Ma'arrf, p. 66, line
:
Did not accord with
of improvisation
22.
My demon: (my muse). The ancient Arabs believed that the poet was in league with spirits (Jinn), or satans and that he derived his inspiration and supernatural powers from them. Cf. Qur'an, xxvi, 224-6 on the poets also, Letters of Abu'l 'Ala al-Ma'arrf, pp. 66, 73-4.
;
O townsman,
stay
Metre,
112
THE MAQAMAT OF
Two
clouds connected and combined.
BADI'
Fair of countenance of noble forehead.

tions his pedigree, goes back to illustrious
to the
And, when he men-
It
Yemeni
in
origin.
So go
house of refuge
which seven have alighted
And thou
wilt
make them
the even
number
eight.'
Then the young man took me by the hand to the house which she had indicated. I beheld and lo there were seven But my eye fastened upon none among them persons in it. in Sirrah So I said to him except Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi.
!
'
what land
'
art
thou
'
He
recited
I I
have alighted in the house of al-Aswad. 2 choose the choicest of its fruits.
I
And
The The
said
am
a terrified man,
Fear hath pursued

likes of
me
for her blood-wit
device of the likes of
me
against
him
in this
and
like conditions
Until he clothed me, repairing my need, And removing its manifest signs.
So take from Time and get what is pure, 3 Before thou art transported from its abode. Beware that thou keep back no desire, Nor permit any milk to remain in the udders
camels.'
of the
Thou
(1)
wilt
make them
it
the even
number
pair.
eight
from
^ft&
he made
it
an even number or
(2)
he made
j j ___
an odd number.
J
* G-
Example:
'
p$ff
Uo*.
\y^ ;
is
^^^
J -G
0>
-* *
-o
\f, pj&\
Q\*
;
The people were an odd number and I made them an even number and they were an even number and I made them an odd number.' Cf. Qur'an, Ixxxix, 2.
'
tliat
w hi ch
double and that which
is
single
and Aghdni,
iv,
176, line 20.

2
have alighted in the house

JT^
Metre, sar'i.
:
3
4
\iu>\*
So take what
to
is
pure
Cf. Text p. 135.

:
Nor permit any milk
remain in the udders
j^j\ A
small quantity of
milk in the udder.
j&\
plural of Î
milk remaining in the udder.
throwing cold water upon a camel's udder to make her return or increase her milk. Therefore the literal meaning is to wet the camel's udder with what should remain
Said 'Isa ibn
113
* :
Hisham
l
exclaimed
Good
'
gracious
What
way of mendicity Then we lived
hast thou not trodden
abode for a season until we and then he fared eastwards and I were safe from danger, westwards.
together in that
XXVIII.
'Is! IBN
THE MAQAMA OF
:
'IRAQ
HISHAM
I
related to us
world
till
reached 'Iraq.
I
diwdns
of the poets until
and said I travelled about the I had turned over the pages of the thought to myself I had not left in
3
my quiver a victorious shaft. And I alighted at Baghdad. Now, while I was on the river bank, there suddenly appeared before me a youth in worn-out garments begging from the people
who
I
disappointed him.
Now
his eloquence astonished me, so
him and asked him of his origin and home. So arose, 4 I I am of Abs he said origin, and Alexandria is my home.' He What is this language and whence this eloquence ? said From knowledge whose refractoriness I have subdued replied With which and into whose seas I have plunged.' I asked
went
'
to
'
'
'
'
'
of the sciences art thou

in
adorned
of
' :
'
He
said
'
have an arrow
'
every quiver.
' :
Which
replied
Poetry.'
He
said
which cannot be paraphrased whose subject is unknown ?

original
I them dost thou like best ? Have the Arabs uttered a verse Have they composed a eulogy Have they a verse unseemly in
?
intent
but
is
made proper by punctuation
What
therein.
figure for improvidence, or indifference to the needs of the future.

:
There
is
a tradition of the Prophet
(^\
Jc\ J go
'
Leave
in the
udder what
will
induce the milk flow.'

1
Mendicity
have read
&jJ=^
mendicity being more consistent with the
context and the

agreeable.
word other
editions give preference to, instead of d?Ui=aJ^ dis-
3 'Iraq : the name applied since the Arab conquest in the seventh century to designate that portion of the valley of the Tigris and the Euphrates known in older With the advent of the Arabs 'Iraq entered on a new literature as Babylonia.
period of prosperity,
several important new cities were founded Kiifa, Basra and Baghdad which became under the 'Abbasid Khalifas not only the capital of 'Iraq, but, for a time, the metropolis of the world. Encyclopaedia Britannica,
xiv,
3
4
740
Yaqut,
iii,
628.
/ alighted at
is
Baghdad: 'Abs: 'Abs the name

the
first
This
Literally, Baghdad caused me to alight. of the tribe to which the poet 'Antara belonged, time the improvisor mentions his tribe,
15
114
verse
is
it
THE MAQAMAT OF
whose
is
BADI'
is it
tears cease not to flow
What
verse
heavy ? What verse is it the last foot of whose first half verse wounds, and the final foot of whose second half heals ? What verse is it whose intimidation is formidable and whose subject is insignificant ? What verse is more sandy than
whose
fall
verse is like the mouth of the person with and a serrated saw ? What verse is it whose beginning pleases and whose end displeases thee ? What verse is it whose interior slaps thee and whose exterior deceives thee ? What verse is it whose hearer is not sure until the whole of it is mentioned ? What verse is it that cannot be touched ? hat verse is it whose transposition is easy ? What verse is longer
the desert
What
pearly teeth
than
its fellow,
as though
'
it
were not of
its
kind
'
W hat
T
!
verse
is rendered contemptible by a letter and established by the Said 'Isa ibn Hisham omission thereof ? By Heavens I did
:
not venture to reply to him and answer other than I know not.'
'
was not guided
to a right
He
said
*
said
And what thou knowest

it
'
How
A
is
So I not is yet more.' that with this excellence thou consentest to

?
this base livelihood

*
He
recited
plague on this age for an age, Marvellous are the courses of its affairs.
It is inimical to
every
man
of culture,
its
As though culture were guilty of an impropriety with mother.'
move over him and I looked again was Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi. I said 3 If God prosper thee and raise thee up when thou fallest me with a commentary on what thou dost think fit to oblige 4 thou hast sent down, and with a full explanation of what thou
Then
caused
my
!
!
eye to
at his face
*
and
lo
it
hast
epitomized, thou wilt do
so.'
He
said
* :
This
is
the
/ did not venture to reply to
him
Literally, I shuffled not a
gaming arrow.
See
An
allusion to the well-known

v. 92.
3
game
:
of meisar
(j^^\\)
forbidden by Islam.
Qur'an,
3
4
A plague on this for an age Metre, munsereh. When thou fallest Literally, thy falling.
:
What
thou hast sent

is
down
That
is
what thou hast revealed

the downsending.
like, as
it
were,
the Qur'an which
also called
Tanzil
(J>),
AL-2AMAN AL-HAMADANI
explanation
are
:
115
As
for the verse that
cannot be paraphrased
a
:
there
many.
*
An example
of
it is
the verse of al-A'asha

3
dirhems are good, Delay us not therefore by testing them.'

All our
As for the eulogy, whose subject is unknown, there are many. An example of it is the saying of Al-Hudhalli 4 1 knew not who threw his cloak over him Except that he was verily of illustrious and pure stock.'
: '
But as
but
is
for the verse
which
is
unseemly
it
in its original intent

is
5
,
made proper by
:
punctuation,
7
the verse of
Abu
the
Nuwas 6
*
And we
vilest
passed the
night,
God
regarding
us as
company,
Trailing the skirts of wickedness, and no boast.'
But as
verse of
*
for the verse
whose
:
tears cease not to flow,
it
is
the
Dhu al-Rumma What aileth thine

if it
it
eye
that water poureth therefrom
As For
or urine,
were kidneys
split
and running
'
comprehendeth either water, or an eye, or pouring, or a cloud, or the bottom of a provision bag, or a split,
or a torrent.
1
The verse that cannot

first
wherein the
be paraphrased : The point is that there three words can be twisted so as to alter the metre e.g.
is
no way
See
3
p.
225 of the
:
text.
Al-A'ashd
The
'sweet singer of the Arabs'

(ob. A.H.
ii,
(vy3t
Û)
was a contem-
porary of
Muhammad
6 or
471.
7).
life
of this poet will be found in
De
Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe,
See also Aghdni, viii, pp. 74-84. 8 All our dirhems are good : Metre, tnutaqdrib. 4 / know not who threw his cloak over him : Metre, tawil. Abu Khirash al-Hudhallf, the author of the elegy from which this line
is
quoted, flourished during the Khalifate of (edited by Freytag) pp. 365-6.
'Umar ibn al-Khattab.
Hamdsa,
6 The verse which is unseemly in its original intent : That is, if we take the verse to the end of the sentence, as far as wickedness it is unseemly, but it is rendered seemly by the additional words, 'and no boast'.
'
'
Abti Niiwds : born at Ahwaz A.H. 145 and died at Baghdad A.H. 195, the well-known witty and talented but profligate court poet of Harun al-Rashfd. Ibn
Khallikan,
7
i,
p. 391.
:
And we passed the night Metre, tawil. What aileth thine eye ; Metre, basit.
116
THE MAQAMAT OF
But as for the verse whose al-Rumi 1
: *
BAD!'
fall is
heavy.
It is like
the verse
of Ibn
When
he gives * he makes not his

says to
gift
an obligation,
And he
my
soul,
soul respite
me/
half verse
It is like
But as for the verse the last foot of whose first wounds, and the final foot of whose second half heals.
the verse of the poet
*
advanced
As one who
with a glittering mashrafi 4 sword, shakes hands and approaches to greet.'
But as for the verse whose intimidation is formidable, but whose subject is insignificant. An example of it is the verse of Amr ibn Kulthum 5
:
i
As though our swords, ours and theirs, 6 Were wooden blades in the hands of the players.'
'
But as
is like
*
for the verse
which
8
is
more sandy 7 than the

:
desert.
It
the verse of
Dhu al-Rumma
Venturing upon the vehement heat of the pebbles, ing them with his foot.
Hasan
'All ibn
strik-
Abu'l
al-Rumi was born
at
Baghdad
A.H. 221.
This cele-
brated poet's verses are admirable for their beauty of expression and originality of thought. He was poisoned in A.H. 283, or 284 at Baghdad at the instance of al-
Qasim ibn 'Ubeidallah The Wazir

297.
8
of al-M'utadid (A.H. 279-89).
Ibn Khallikan,
ii,
\*>1
When
he gives
The
point as to weight
is
the repetition of the
word
mann ((}>) which means 'he bestowed', and a certain weight which is generally considered as equal to two pounds troy. Metre, tawil. 3 I advanced with a glittering mashrafi sword : Metre, wdfir. 4 Mashrafi : Belonging to Musharif the name of a collection of Arab villages
near the cultivated part of 'Iraq.
made swords
538.
*
(Lane).
think the
It is said that ^yc- was a blacksmith who &*+ See Yaqtit, iv, word should be vocalized
'Anir ibn
Kulthum
The author
of one of the Mu'allaqat (No. 6 in Lyall's
edition).
6 7
As though our swords, ours and theirs More sandy than the desert The point
:
here
Metre, wdfir. is the play on the word
^+j
sand, and technically 'poetry lacking beauty and containing words which are not pleasing to the ear.' (Freytag's Arabische Verskunst, p. 530.) Note the
literally
collection of
dads
(.jt>)
the most difficult letter to pronounce in the whole alphabet,
in the first half verse.

8
\*))**
venturing upon
Metre, basit.
Literally, riding barebacked.
In this
verse the poet refers to the insect called
Jundak, a
species of locust.
When
its
117
1
the noonday sun revolves
as though perplexed in
course.'
for the verse
2
But as
:
which
is
like the
mouth
It
is
of the person
with pearly teeth al-A'asha

*
or a serrated saw.
like
the verse of
went betimes man,
to the
wine-shop
while there followed me,
brisk, active, quickish, agile, rapid.'
But as for the verse whose beginning pleases but whose end displeases thee. It is like the verse of Imr al-Qais
:
'
Like a mass of rock hurled from a height
Attacking, fleeing, advancing, retiring, simultaneously, 4 by the torrent.'
As
*
for the verse
whose
interior slaps thee,
and whose
:
exterior
deceives thee.
I
It is like
the verse of the poet
5 reproached her, she cried and said,
May
But
of
it is
'
the
Lord
of
the empyrean
deliver
youth, thee from
my
reproach.'
as for the verse
whose hearer
is
not sure until the whole

:
mentioned.
It is like
the verse of Tarafa
6 companions, stopping their camels near me, Saying, do not die of grief, but endure patiently.'
My
For the hearer imagines thou

al-Qais.
art reciting the verse of
Imr
the
But as
for the verse that

'
cannot be touched.
It
is like
verse of Al-Khubzuruzzi
1
Revolves : The sun does not seem to be inclining towards the horizon. Like the mouth of the person with pearly teeth : I have given preference to
the
meaning derived from

1
It
~fc>\.
'
glistened,
e.g. yLiXTîi^ the

'
front teeth
the teeth of the adopted by the commentator, namely, which does not yield a satisfactory sense. The point lies in the oppressed repetition of the letter six times with its implied primary meaning, a tooth. 3 / went betimes to the wine-shop : Metre, basit. Ibn Qutaiba criticises the
glistened, to that
,
poet for introducing in this verse four synonyms for the word active, Shu'ara, p. 12.
Sh'ir
wa
is
^4^ JjilqL^s Like a mass of rock hurled from a height ^

*"
The
criticism
'
that the second half of the verse does not suggest a horse under control ready attack, retreat, advance, or retire.'
6
to
I reproached her
6 7
My companions
Nasr al-Khubzuruzzi
Basra.
me : Metre, tawil. A.H. 317) the rice-bread baker was a native of This poet could neither read nor write. He baked rice-bread in a shop
(d.
: Metre, kdinil. stopping their camels near
118
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

The cloud of moon of love, And the light
'
separation
of
has cleared away from the
peace has risen from the darkness of
reproach.'
And
'
also like the verse of
Abu Nuwas
2
The
saffron -scented breeze
in a
watery garment,
stature of light
for the verse
3
:
upon
etherial parchment.'
is
But as
'
whose transposition
easy.
It is like
the verse of Hassan
4 countenances, their pedigrees are noble, Haughty, of the most noble extraction.'
Of
fair
But as
it
'
for the verse

its
6
which
is
were not of
Enjoy,
kind.
It is like
longer than its fellow as though the folly of Al-Mutanabbi 5

:
live on,
leader,
be exalted, be a chief, be generous, be a command, forbid, be manly, speak, be asked,

hit, protect,
be angry, shoot,
raid,
take captive, terrify,
stop, give the blood-wit, govern, divert, obtain.'
But as for the verse which is rendered contemptible by a It is like the letter and established by the omission thereof.
verse of
Abu Nuwas
situated at the
Mirbad
of
Basra and he used

all
to recite there to
crowds of enthusiastic
iii,
admirers, verses of his own,

ii.
of
them amatory. Ibn Khallikan,
530
Yatima,
132.
1
that espoused the cause belonged to a family of poets and is said to have lived to the great age of 120 years. His Diwdn has been published by the Trustees of the Gibb Memorial. Ibn Khallikan, iv, 259. 4 Of fair countenances : Metre, kdntil. 5 See Like the folly of Mutanabbi : Twenty-three imperatives in two lines diwan of Mutaaabbi, ed. by Dieterici, p. 495, and for an example of another
3
The cloud of separation : Metre, tawil. The saffron scented breeze : Metre, tawil. Hassan : (ibn Thabit) d. A.H. 54 was one of the poets
of
Muhammad.
He
collection of fourteen imperatives, p. 493.
Mutanabbi : (A.H. 303-354). The well-known court poet of Saif Al Daula is As the poets of the generally admitted to be the greatest of all Islamic poets. Mu'allaqat illustrated the spirit of the sons of the desert, so does Mutanabbi represent the sentiments of the
Muslim Arabs.
See Yatima,
i,
78
;
of Persia,
6
Nicholson, Lit. Hist, of the Arabs, p. 304 Enjoy , live on, etc. : Metre, tawil.
i,
369
Browne, Lit. Hist. Ibn Khallikan, i, 102.
'
119
l
My
verse
As pearls
*
upon your door are lost on Khalisa.' 8

is lost
:
Or, like the verse of another Verily the sentence which thou perceivest to be praise,
TTT
Was a
That
"
sentence that
to say "
is
jf
shone upon him P
is
when
was "
lost
lost
upon him "

is
read
it
is satire,
but
when
at
shone
recited,
'
it is
praise.'
!
Hisham By Heavens his discourse and I gave him what would changed condition. Then we separated.'
Said 'Isa ibn
:
was astonished assist him against

I
his
XXIX.
'ISA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF HAMDAN

and said
:
HISHAM
the court
related to us
of
We
day
at
Saif
al-Daula ibn
'
were present one 5 Hamdan, and they
the eye looks up at him * it wants to look down again in order to take in all his beauty.' Whoever of The company looked at it and Saif al-Daula said
brought before him a horse
when
'
upon your door : Metre, mutaqdrib. extremely ill-favoured damsel of whom Harun al-Rashid was passionately fond. To compensate for her natural defects the Khalifa furnished her with rich apparel and costly jewels. Abu Nuwas became aware of this and
1
My
verse
is lost
Khalisa
An
The damsel complained to Harun and Abu Nuwas was summoned to the presence of the Khalifa to explain his presumptuous conduct. On his way to the audience-chamber he passed the door over which the
wrote these lines over her door.
offending lines were written and erased the lower curve of the 'ain so that only
the upper one
the sign for
hamza, remained,
(Nufhat al-Yemen.
so
that the
word read
U
in
shone, instead of
8
was
lost.
:
Story
'<iin
13.)
is
Verily the sentence
manner in this line. 4 Abdullah ibn Hamddn The name of Saif al-Daula's father. * Saif al-Daula the Hamddnid A.H. 333-56 (A.D. 916-67), made himself master of Aleppo in 944 and founded an independent kingdom in northern Syria. He was an accomplished scholar and poet himself, a lover of fine poetry and a renowned patron of letters. For notices of his life, see Ibn Khallikan, ii, 334 and Tha'alibf, Yatima, i, 88. 6 When the eye looks up An allusion to the Qasfda of Imr al-Qais, p. 25,
similar
: : :
Metre, basit. The letter See note 2 on Khalisa.
manipulated
verse 69, Lyall's edition of the Mu'allaqat.
The
text is incorrectly vocalized the
lines in accordance with the different meanings suggested by Tabrfzf. Hamadhani has already twice quoted this line, but this is the first occasion he has done so appositely.
and ,J*> should be doubled. I have varied the translation of these
120
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
you describes it best, I will make him a present of it.' So every one tried his best endeavour and expended what ability he
possessed.
One
of his attendants said

I
* :
May God
prosper the
saw a man who put eloquence under his Yesterday feet and upon whom men's He was soliciting the eyes rested. and getting nothing. 2 Now, if the Amir would summon people him, he would excel them in his repartee.' Said Saif al-Daula Bring him to me as he is.' Then the attendants flew in search of him and they forthwith brought him, but they did not tell him with what object he had been summoned. Then he was taken near and was brought close up. He was wearing a pair of worn-out garments upon which time had long eaten and
!
Amir
l
drunken. 3
When
still.
and stood
he reached the front rank he kissed the carpet Saif al-Daula said The report of thy
*
:
eloquence has reached us so exhibit

description.'
it
it
on
this
horse and
!
its
said May God prosper the Amir How can be done before riding him and seeing his jumping, and
*
:
He
disclosing
* '
and his latent qualities ? He said Mount it.' So he mounted it, made it go and then he said, God prosper the Amir He is long in both ears, scanty of two,
his
defects
'
spacious in the rectum, soft of three, thick in the shank, depressed of four, strong-winded, fine of five, narrow in the gullet, thin
eight, long in the ribs, short of nine,
of six, sharp of hearing, thick of seven, fine of tongue, broad of wide of jaw, remote of ten.
He grips with his forefeet, kicks out with his hind ones, appears with a bright face and laughs exposing his permanent corner He cracks 4 the face of the earth with hoofs of iron, 5 he nipper.
rises like the
ocean when
it
is
rough, or the torrent

upon
drink
when
it
Put eloquence under his feet

in subjection.
Literally, tramples
it,
figuratively for
having eloquence
8
Getting nothing : Literally, capable of two explanations

:
he made them
to
despair
this
is
(a)
If
we
take the verb
Jill
to
mean he was asking
the people for something,

sufficient.
-
would
-
signify
he made them despair of giving him

_
(6)
JL*> means he was questioning the people, then ^LJ^ (.j^j signifies he made them despair of answering him. I think the second explanation is more in consonance with the context. Eaten and drunken : Arab Proverbs, i, 61. Figure for old and much used.
if
:
4 *
^> He cracks
Hoofs of iron
:
Another reading jô he scores.

Literally,
an iron pounder.
rages.'
121
art
Saif al-Daula said

*
:
*
:
Thou
welcome
to the horse.'
Mayest thou cease not to get precious things and to horses Then he turned away and I followed him give away I will undertake to supply thee with the equipment said and
said
'
!
He
'
necessary for this horse, if thou explain what thou hast described.' He answered, Ask what thou desirest.' I said: 'What is the He replied Remote meaning of thy saying, Remote of ten ?
*
'
'
between the two eye sockets, and between the two hind quarters, and remote of space between the two extremities of the haunches, between the nostrils, wide 2 in the space between the two hind legs, and between the navel
of sight,
of pace, of space
and the operating

1
point.
'
Remote
!
of goal in the race.'

'
said
thy teeth not be broken And what is the meaning of thy He replied Short of hair, short of saying, Short of nine ? hair on the pastern, short of tail bone, short in the arms, short
May
in the pasterns,
short
of
short in the sciatic artery, short in the back, I said How excellent And what is the shank.'
' :
!
back, broad of broad of flank, broad of sinew, broad of breast, broad scapula, I said Well done And what is the meaning of thy of neck.'
of
*
:
!
thy saying, eight meaning Broad of brow, broad of haunch, broad

'
of
Broad
of
'
He answered
saying, Thick
of seven
'
He answered
' :
Thick
in the fore-
leg, stout of girth, thick in the tail root, thick of skin in the head, thick in the pastern, thick in the thighs, thick in the back.' I
said
' :
How
wonderful
'
And what
' :
is
Thin
of six
He answered
Thin
the meaning of thy saying, of eyelid, thin in the

'
fore-part of the neck, thin in the lip, thin-skinned, thin in the I said Well tips of the ears, thin in the sides of the neck.'
:
done
the meaning of thy saying, Fine of five ? He replied Fine in the uppermost part of the neck, fine in the frog, fine in the forehead, fine in the knee, fine in the foreleg
!
And what
'
is
'
sinew.'
said
of
' :
meaning
i
prolong thy life thy saying, Depressed of four

:
May God
And what
'
is
the
:
He answered
is
Wide in
the space between the two hind legs

:
Such a horse
called
JljU^
\&\ Navel
a yellow
fluid. o - 3 v__sa, The
The
point on the navel where the
farrier operates to extract
operating point
That
is,
the thin skin next to the navel which the
farrier perforates in order that a yellow fluid

4
may
issue forth.
Short of nine: Only eight are mentioned, one having been omitted on grounds of decency.
16
122
1
THE MAQAMAT OF
BADI'
in the top of the shoulders, depressed in the knee joints, depressed in the eyebrows, depressed in the arm-bone.'
Depressed
said
'
:
And what
* :
He
of
said
the meaning of thy saying, Soft of three ? Soft in the upper parts of the shoulder blades, soft
is
'
mane,
soft in the mouth.'
Then
said
'
And what
is
the
:
meaning
'
of
thy
I
' :
saying,
'
Scanty of two
face,
'
He
answered
Scanty
in the flesh of the
of the back.'
asked
scanty in flesh on both sides Whence the origin of this excellence ?

'
From the frontiers replied Then I said city of Alexandria.'

lence expose thy self-respect recited saying
: '
He
of the
' :
Umayyads and
'
the
Dost thou with

?
this excel
to this extravagance
Then he
Befool thy time well, for time

tell this
is
a fool,
Consign honour to oblivion and
live in
comfort and plenty,

4
And
thy slave to bring us a cake.'
XXX.
'IsA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF RUSAFA

:
HISHAM related to us and said I sallied forth from Rusafa 5 to go to the capital when the fervent summer sultri6 boiled in the breast of irritation. Now when I had ness
traversed half the road, the heat became intense, patience failed me and so I turned towards a masjid which had appropriated to
itself
the secret of
all
beauty.
And
in
it
there were people
Soft in the
mouth
Literally, soft of, i.e. obedient to, the rein.

:
Expose thy
self-respect
Literally, expose thy face, a
common
figure for risk
of self-respect.
Befool thy time : Metre, mujtath. Cf. p. 128 of the Text. This Saif al-Daula died about two years before Hamadhani was born. maqama is, therefore, based on an imaginary incident or a popular story. See Ibn
3
Khallikan,
.
ii,
139,
where there
is
Also cf p. 124 of the same volume.

Ecclesiastes,
6
a description of a horse presented by this prince. For an example of riddling with numbers, see
xi. 2.
:
famous quarter to the east of Baghdad. In the time of alIt was built by the it was the cantonment of the city. Khalifa's son al-Mahdi, in A.H. 159, and in time grew to the size of the capital It was also the necropolis of the 'Abbasid Khalifas. itself. (Yaqut, ii, 783. See
Rusafa Mansur (A.D.
754-75)
also
6
Le
C
Strange,
*o -33
Baghdad.)
G
-^ J
*~
k+s&\
SjU^-
Fervent
summer
sultriness
Another
reading
Lj5i\
6)U^
The
7
live coals of the intense
summer heat. Which had appropriated to itself
the
secret
of
all
beauty
The
cathedral masjid of Rusafa was larger and

itself.
more magnificent than
that of
Baghdad
contemplating
discussion led
its ceilings
123
its pillars.
and discussing
Finally the
and their and cut-purses and artifices, They mentioned among thieves, forgers of seals, the lightfingered, and palmers, him who gives short weight, him who robs in the ranks, him who throttles by the sudden attack, 2 him who hides in the locker till lifting is possible, him who 3 substitutes by cajoling, him who steals in jest, him who steals 4 by the confidence trick, him who invites to compromise, him 5 6 who sweeps off the change, him who induces sleep, him who confounds with backgammon, 7 him who deceives with the 8 monkey, him who gets the better by means of the mantle and 9 a needle and thread, him who brings thee a lock, him who
to the
them
mentioning of thieves their practices.
Finally the discussion led them:
Literally
vôA^J ^V**11
'
the
end
of the
discussion led
them
'
v^ri
means the hinder
part of anything, particularly the
buttock or rump.
first
'
In poetry it signifies the second half of a verse or couplet, the OG_ half being called sadr (;^-=).
Him who
Him who
throttles by the
sudden attack
From cJ3 he went
lightly or
p. 887.)
stealthily,
3
and &Jlc cJo he despatched him.
(Lane's Lexicon, article
t^*I>,
substitutes by cajoling: For this use of the word
~++ rather
than that adopted by the commentator, see Letters of the author, p 329, line 8. 4 Him who invites to compromise : In a case where he has no legal claim.
Who sweeps off the change : The explanation of this trick is as follows the thief goes to a money changer on the pretext of changing a dinar then snatches what the man has before him and decamps. 6 Him who induces sleep : The thief being in company with some one who
5
:
has money pretends to be drowsy and thus induces his victim to go to sleep, he then robs him of his property. But, literally, him who puts to sleep with the
'
eye.'
7
More probably,
therefore, hypnotic suggestion.

:
Him who
confounds with backgammon
The
thief takes with
him
into the
house he intends to rob a backgammon or chess-board, usually made of cloth, and spreads it out. In case he is discovered by the master of the house he raises a cry that he has been cheated at the game and his opponent refuses to pay his losses.
of the mantle The thief observes a man wearing a mantle, goes behind him, raises the skirt of the garment, in order to get at the purse quickly If he is discovered, usually carried underneath, and begins sewing it to the collar. and the man turns round, he says, Do not be afraid, I was only mending thy In this way he manages to escape with or cloak dost thou not want it done ?
8
By means
.'
'
'
without the purse.

9
Him who
first
brings thce a lock

If
The
thief contrives to sell the
defective lock.
of the
the latter uses
it
to lock
up
his shop, the thief takes
opportunity to effect an entrance ai.d tc
shopkeeper a advantage help himself to the merchant's
goods.
124
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
makes a subterranean passage, him who renders men unconscious 1 2 him who changes his with hemp, or cheats by juggling, 4 3 him who ties his two ropes, him who overpowers with shoes, 5 the sword, him who ascends from the well, him who accom6 7 panies the caravan, the gentry of the cloth, him who enters
the assemblies,
seeks
8
him who
flees
from the night

'
patrol,
10
him who
'
him who refuge from danger, him who flies the bird, n and Sit down, there is no harm says plays with the strap
!
him who
steals
by playing upon people's modesty, him who
I Hemp (cÔ-' Hammer Purgstall

is
*-^
with
wrong
is
in
identifying
it
(Sanskrit bhanga). the Coptic bendj,
Baron
plural
nebendj, which he says
the
same plant as the
vrjTrevOijs
perplexed the commentators of Homer (Odessey, 4. 221 sq.), for (a) There is no such word as bendj or nebendj in Coptic. (b) It is a good Sanskrit word and is found in the Athara-Veda Samhita
:
which so much two reasons
(xi. 6. 15).
Also see Monier Williams' Sanskrit and English Dictionary,

'
article
9
-.''tt^?
Bhanga.
By juggling
<&>>
literally
anything
magic and enchantment. 3 Him who changes his shoes : A very easy thing to do at the masjid or the bath where shoes and sandals have to be left outside. 4 Him who ties his two ropes : the modus operand i is this The thief climbs upon the terrace or roof of a house, ties to the end of a rope what he wishes to steal, descends quickly and pulls his booty down. 5 Him who ascends from the well : Which he has been using as a place of
;
new
also
concealment.
5
Him who
7
still
accompanies the caravan : As if he were one of the travellers. The gentry of the cloth : That is, the wearers of the ascetic garb. This
is
a very popular form of disguise in the East. 8 Him who enters the assemblies : By virtue of being well-dressed and of respectable appearance. This is the fourth time the author uses the word Maqdma.
of respectable people. the night patrol : The thief enters a house to rob it. If he is suran prised, he declares he has run away from the night patrol and is the victim of If he is believed he waits for an opportunity to help himself and then injustice.
it
Here
9
means companies
From
disappears.
1
then follows
like
Hint who flies the bird : The thief causes his pigeon to fly into a house and This is If he is discovered he pretends he has come for his bird. it. the excuse of the poacher who, when found trespassing, asserts he is looking
!
for his sheep

II
Him who
:
plays with
the strap
The
explanation of this trick
is
as
follows
The
thief starts a
game which
asking another to say where it is. If he a strap. Such a game is bound to end in a quarrel which the sharper takes advantage of to appropriate \vhatever he can.
consists of one hiding something and fails he is beaten on his hand or leg with
takes advantage of a panic,
125
a meal
l
him who gets
in the street
9
by blowing
3
his trumpet,
him who brings

rob
a pitcher,
the master
4
gardeners,
those
who
scales lofty houses,
him who
through the windows, him climbs 5 upon the roof, him
creeps stealthily with the knife along the mud wall, 6 comes to thee suddenly with a sweet- smelling nosegay, the
who who him who
him who comes by stealth and moans after the manner of madmen, the possessors 9 8 the men of cotton and wind, him who enters the of keys,
men
of
the axe
like
official
attendants,
him who goes into the house like a visitor, him who passes in humbly in the garb of the destitute, him who steals at the cistern when the plunge makes it
door
in
the guise of a guest,
gets a meal: Literally, to blow the trumpet, which means to inand empty talk. (See Taj al-'Arus, vi, 301.) In order to obtain this rendulge dering, requiring the reflexive use of the verb, a slight emendation of the text is neces1
Him who
in vain
sary, for
2
p&\ read ^*L^ (p. 161, line 1). H im who brings a pitcher As though
:
he had come to fetch water.

O -.0:
If
he
y~~ y*~> The thief represents himself to be an expert The master gardeners gardener. If you employ him he soon begins to help himself to the produce of the
3
:
can lay his hands on anything, he steals it. ,jjyu~> Bastuq a small glazed earthenware vessel. or Persian ?
Arabicized from the
garden and
this
he does without arousing suspicion, because he

:
is
thought to have
your authority to do so ^'tl? Gardens
Arabicized from the well-known Persian
word
4
.U.}
Btistdn.
:
Those who rob through the windows from the Persian a hole. ^t.j
5
($>$)) plural
of
&>jj
arabicized
By means of a rope. comes with a sweet-smelling nosegay As if he were bringing it as a present to the master. Should he get an opportunity he steals someThe practice of presenting flowers in this way is still common in the thing.
climbs
:
Him who Him who
East.
1
The men of the axe
That
is,
the policemen.
^>j-l>
and
fcjjj^>
arabicized
;
from the Persian ^J an axe and Q\ imperative form of ôt to strike literally something struck with an axe, or the striker with an axe or a hatchet and then the
tool itself.
8
The possessors of keys

to
Those who carry about a number

etc.
:
:
of keys with
which they endeavour
open doors, boxes,
9 The men of cotton and wind The some cotton so that the wind may blow it
pickers of locks. the thief scatters plan is as follows

into certain houses
and then, on the

^>Li
is
pretext of collecting his cotton, he goes in and robs them.
The word
probably of foreign origin.
126
1
THE MAQAMAT OF
him who robs with two
2
BAD!'
him who swears to a him who cheats with the pledge, 4 him who gives a bill debt, 5 of exchange, him who changes the purse, 6 him who palms off in fraud, him who gives to bankrupts, him who clips his 8 sleeve and then says, 'Observe and decide', him who stitches
possible,
3
sticks,
the breast, 9
him who says
'
Dost thou not know
'
10
him who
'
When
the plunge
or dip makes
'
it
possible
think
^*\
to
'
go deep
would make better sense than ^=^\ to make possible ', i.e. when the bathers plunge into the water. 2 Him who robs with two sticks : The thief stands upon the roof of his house
and
lies in
wait for the caravan.

is
long stick on the end of which

cloth, etc.
3
When it comes opposite the house, he lowers a a hook like a grapnel and pulls up what he can of
Him who swears to a debt : This is a species of black-mailing. The swindler swears that a certain person of importance owes him money. The latter rather than run the risk of being haled before the Qadi pays the amount.
cheats with the pledge : The rogue buys goods from a merchant pledge with him a sealed casket supposed to contain valuable jewels which, of course, it does not. 5 Him who gives a bill of exchange : The fraud is perpetrated as follows The thief sees a traveller with a large sum of money in cash and offers to relieve
4
Him who
in
and leaves
him
in
&
the
of the trouble of carrying town to which he is
it
by giving him a
bill of bill
exchange on some one

of course, worthless.
;
journeying.
*
The
is,
cj
(<JUs^fl~)
&&.
literally,
pierced
a consignment
made
by a person of one country to a person of another. 6 Him who changes the purse : The swindler bargains for some goods, produces a purse and counts out in gold or silver a sum which the shopkeeper declines to take, he then puts the purse back into his pocket. The haggling continues, and
eventually he persuades the shopkeeper to accept the amount first counted. then pulls out a purse exactly like the first, but which contains only coppers.
He
If
the merchant accepts the purse without counting the contents, the thief makes off with the goods.
7
Him who
gives to bankrupts
The swindler
contrives to secure the con-
of goods and sells them on credit to impecunious traders, at double the prime cost, and leads the public to believe he is doing a flourishing business. Then, when he has sold them articles of the value equal to what he owes his creditors, he announces he has gone bankrupt and that
fidence of
some merchants, takes a quantity
In this way his outstandings represent exactly the amount of his liabilities. benefits by precisely half the amount of goods he has taken from his creditors.
:
he
8 Him who When the sharper sees a man placing some clips his sleeve money before a shopkeeper, or a money changer, he seizes him and accuses him of having robbed him and exhibits his cut sleeve as evidence. 9
J
Him who stitches the breast This is similar to the mantle trick. Him who says Dost thou not know ? The swindler goes up to
:
'
'
his
dupe
and
Art thou not aware of what happened to so and so to-day ? A thief says, seized his clothes thus suiting the action to the word pulls him and, in the pull'
'
ing, contrives to rob
him
of his
money.
1
127
him who substitutes when he counts, him who enters with his accomplices and says, He is not 3 him who deceives thee with a thousand, 4 him who asleep
2
bites,
and him who
ties,
'
',
him who shams pain him who beats with the shoe, 7 him who questions the truth, 8 him who steals with a cleft stick, him who enters by the underground passage, him who takes advantage of mining,
passes behind,
steals in fetters,
him who
to defraud,
ivho bites : The sharper picks a quarrel with some one and, when they blows and seize each other he contrives, in the struggle, to tear with his teeth his antagonist's clothes where he thinks the money is put away. 2 Him who ties The thief being seated near some one he wishes to rob, attaches to a piece of string, which he retains hold of, whatever he finds it possible to relieve the individual of. When the man gets up and goes away, the article
1
Him
to
come
is left
behind.
'
He
is
not asleep
'
The robber and
his accomplices find a

'
that they have pretends to be asleep. Then to prove whether or no he is asleep they begin to feel him and, during the process, rob him. After they have gone he gets up only to find that he has been both robbed and hoaxed and the buried treasure consists of worthless shells.
and make a noise asleep ', and in
until they wake him by saying, their conversation they lead him
He
'
asleep to believe
is
or
'
man He
is
asleep not
buried a treasure there, and so
now he
Him who deceives thee with a thousand : The sharper deposits for safe custody with a merchant a bag supposed to contain a thousand dinars. On the top he has put a layer or two of dinars while the remainder consists of coppers. He returns later and takes out a few pieces. This is repeated until the silver is exhausted. Then he buys largely from the merchant who unhesitatingly gives
4
him credit in the belief that he has a some time has elapsed the merchant
that he has been duped.
5
large
sum in deposit. He then bolts. After gets suspicious, opens the bag and discovers
thief
Him who
passes behind
it.
The
goes with an accomplice to a shop and
asks for something which he cleverly passes unobserved to his fellow

ately runs
'
who immedi:
away with
I to
What am
6
do
The
then pretends to be very fellow has gone off with it

' !
He
much
upset and exclaims
Him who
and
tells
steals in fetters
fetters
a pitiful tale
The robber appears as an escaped prisoner in how he has been unjustly dealt with. You pity him,
:
loose his bonds, and treat him kindly. the first opportunity he gets.
He
repays your kindness by robbing you
1 Him who beats with the shoe : The sharper takes off his old shoes to beat some one who has a good pair. The latter takes his off to retaliate and in the struggle that ensues the former makes off with the good shoes of the latter 8 Him who questions the truth The thief knows you have a certain sum of money with you. He approaches you and says he has goods to sell of greater value than the money you possess, but he is willing to take what you actually have. He then asks if you have the amount with you and you say Yes '. He will retort Never '. Then you produce it and count it. If he can contrive to get hold of it he will swear it does not belong to you. Then he either bolts with all or makes a compromise with you.
!
'
'
128
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

;
the masters of the grapnels and the rope of coconut fibre and the conversation turned on to him who got the better of them. 1
Here follows a story of Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi, which, on grounds of decency, has been omitted. The only thing in it that may be mentioned is the moonlight night regarding which he says, in other than his own garb '.
*
',
'
And
phantom
full
paid a nocturnal
visit
when
night was
in a garb not his
own
And
the
moon met him and
brightened the parting of
his hair.'
XXXI.
'ISA IBN
I
THE MAQAMA OF THE SPINDLE

:
HISHAM related to us and said I entered Basra when was wide of fame and abundant of reputation, and there came to me two young men. One of them said May God strengthen the Shaikh this youth entered our house and seized 5 a kitten 4 with vertigo in its head, with the sacred cord and a
' :
!
whirling sphere around
its
;
middle.
Gentle of voice,
skirt, if
it
if
it
cries;
quick to return,
if
it
flees
long of
pulls
slender of
1 Him who got the better of them : That is, the thieves. suppressed on grounds of decency. 2 And a phantom : Metre, tawil. 3 In a garb not his own : The usual garb of night
'
This story has been
is
darkness, so
that
is
not his
own
'
would mean
brightness,
i.e.
moonlight.
Night personified
here regarded as masculine. This maqama may be compared to Hariri, xxx, 372, in which we have examples Here Hamadhani of the cant of beggars, mountebanks, prestigiators and the like.
gives illustrations of the
methods pursued by the
fraternity of burglars, thieves,
sharpers, swindlers, pickpockets and the like. nisse (von de Goeje Z.D.M.G.j, xx, 504.
gj
Cf. Gaubari,
Endickte GeheimQ ~.+$
4
ff
<y~, "
*.
kitten
The commentator does

&
not consider that
arabicized
text is
from the Persian c^Ju^s a partridge, makes good sense and says that the
corrupt.
He
suggests that the correct
word
is
~L
I
from the Persian cdUi a furred

is
animal and, as the context shows, a kitten.

accept
gjii
think his view

error in
correct.
If
is
we
the
as the arabicized form of cdUs
the slight
pointing
kind of one a copyist might easily make.

& *j\Jj
Zunnar
just
Christians, the Jews, Magi,
by a woman
folds.
& cord or girdle worn by the Eastern %a)vapi,ov and the Brahmins. Originally the lower girdle worn above the hips over which the gown was drawn and fell in
:
Greek
waist,
129
weak
of chest,
of the size of a
plump sheep.
If it the town, yet not abandoning travel. If it be tasked with a journey, it goes energetically, returns it. and, if it is made to draw the rope, it lengthens it. There it is,
Staying in be given a thing, it
able, a past
bone and wood. It contains property, immoveable and moveand a future.' * Said the young man Yes, may God the Shaikh for he forcibly took from me strengthen
'
:
!
Pointed
is
his spearhead,
His progeny
business.
are
his
sharp are his teeth, helpers, dissolving union
is
his
He
assails his master, clinging to his
moustache
Inserting his fangs into old and young. Agreeable, of goodly shape, slim, abstemious. A shooter, with shafts abundant, around the beard
and the
moustache.'
So
that he
said to the
'
first
Give him back the comb
in order
may
return to thee the spindle.'
XXXII.
'isi IBN
THE MAQAMA OF SHIRAZ

:
HISHAM related to us and said When I was returning from Yemen and making for my native land, a fellowtraveller joined me with his baggage and we journeyed together
for three days, until the highland attracted
me, and the lowland So I ascended and he descended. I fared eastwards and he went westwards, but I regretted separating from him after the mountain and its ruggedness took possession of me, and the vale and its depth seized him. By Heavens separation from him left me desiring him, and he left me suffering from his absence after him. Now when I parted from him, he was a man of wealth and beauty, of goodly appearance and perfection. Well, Time dealt us its
swallowed him.
1
!
Weak
of chest
j^J.
Literally,
weak
fit
in the place of the shirt.
)j\
gives no
sense.
*
3
4
Probably
a fat sheep
:
to be slaughtered.
is,
Past and future isuj J*J
That
ancestral and passing to posterity.
Pointed is his spearhead : Metre, rejez. Cf. Hariri, i, 87. Shirdz : The capital of the province of Pars situated 112 miles from Bushire and 220 parasangs from Nishapur,
17
130
blows, but
to
THE MAQAMAT OF
BADI'
I pictured him to myself at all times, and called him mind every moment, and I did not think Time would help me to him or through him, till I came to Shiraz. Now one day, while I was in my chamber, suddenly there appeared before me an old man, whose countenance poverty had 7 marred, whose lustre Time had entirely exhausted, whose 3 erectness disease had bent, and whose nails destitution had with a face more wretched than his actual state, and clipped a garb more dreadful than his condition, with dry gums and
1
parched
lips,
muddy
feet,
with a
blistered hand,
with canine
misfortune had destroyed, and a bitter existence. And he saluted me. My eye disdained him, but I returned his So he said O God make us better than we are greeting.
teeth that
' :
of
smoothed out for him the wrinkles him and said Proceed 6 with my face,* opened my Then he said I have suckled thee on the thy story breast of covenant, and shared with thee the rein of protection 7 and, in the opinion of the wise, acquaintance is sacred and
suspected to
'
be.'
Therefore
ear to
:
'
'
I then said : friendship is kinship.' He man, or a fellow-tribesman ?

'
'
Art thou a fellow-townssaid

'
Nought unites us
* :
save the land of exile, and nothing binds us together but the Then I asked Which road relationship of neighbourhood.'
bound us both with one cord

'
'
?
:
He
' :
'
replied
' :
The road
to
Art thou Abu'lYemen.' Said 'fsa ibn Hishdm So I asked I said Fath al-Iskanderi ? I am that person.' He replied
:
My chamber
j+L
3
Literally,
an enclosure for camels.
had marred
erectness
.
Literally,
had covered with dust.
Whose
Literally,
whose
lance,
which
is
a figure for straightness.
And a
till
blistered
hand
Cf.
ts-I*
ts-^fe^ I
had
ground
8
at the mill
both
my
/ smoothed out for

to frown.
:
him
~&\
the wrinkles of
hands were blistered (Musnad, p. 106). my face : That is, I ceased

It is
to knit
my brows and
d>\
Proceed
also
and
it
&>\.
a word denoting a desire for one to

for chiding or checking,
speak.
\:-ft
7
With
8
t
quiescent, &>\,
for thee
is
is
used
and means
mf*Hf rt
such a thing.
*c 0\lc The rein of protection : An allusion to the co-partnership of two persons in one particular thing exclusive of the rest of the articles or property of either,
'
131
since parting from me, and thou therefore lay before me hast changed beyond my recognition thy whole case and the cause of thy disordered condition.' He
thin thou art
;
How
become
said
'
:
have married a beautiful
woman
of base stock, 1
and
am
afflicted
affliction,
with a daughter by her. So because of her I am in and she has despoiled me of my living and sapped my
' :
'
I said youthful vigour.' divorce her and be at rest ?
Why
dost
thou
not
absolutely
XXXIII.
'IsA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF HULWAN

and said
:
HISHAM
related to us
When
was coming
back from the Pilgrimage with those who were returning, and I 3 with those who alighted, I said to my alighted at Hulwan
4 long and my body somewhat dirty, so chose for us a bath that we may enter it, and a barber whom
slave
'
find
my
hair
is
we may make
;
Let the bath be of spacious yard, of clean locality, of pure atmosphere and the water of moderate temperature and let the barber be deft of hand, with a sharp
use
of.
little given to gossip.' So he went 5 I have chosen it out for a long time, returned late, and said Then we took the direction of the bath as thou described it.'
* :
razor and clean dress, and
and arrived there, but we did not see the keeper. But I went in, and there entered in my track a man who betook himself to a lump of clay, besmeared my forehead with it, and then placed Then he went out, and in came another and he it on my head. began to rub me with a rubbing that grazed my bones, to knead
0^4*.
beautiful
woman of
i.e.
base stock
Literally, the greenness of
dungheap.
Cf.
Hebrew ^Q-J dung,
of the enclosure
where the camels were
kept during the stay of the tribe at a certain place. When the tribe moved on, the place became covered with rich but rank green grass, very pleasant to the eye
but coarse and unpalatable.

'
tradition of the
Prophet says
^ jdTfai
'
*^=>^ti
Beware
woman
which he explained to signify a beautiful ', See Hariri, i, 48 and Arab Proverbs, i, 48. 8 Why dost thou not absolutely divorce her ? See Qur'an, ii, 229-30. This maqama does not conclude with the conventional lines of poetry.
of the green
dungheaps
of base stock.'
3
4
Hulwan
My
He
: A town in 'Iraq in the mountains east of Baghdad. body somewhat dirty : Cf Hariri, i, 46. went out for a long time : Cf Qur'&n, xix, 47.
.
132
THE MAQAMAT OF
l
BADI'
with a kneading which crushed my joints, and to whistle with a whistling that scattered spittle. He next aimed at my head to wash it, and at the water to pour it. Then without
delay the first entered and greeted the branch of the occipital artery of the second with a blow of his clenched fist that made his canine teeth rattle, and he said Wretch what hast thou
*
:
!
me
do with this head when it is mine ? Then the second turned on the first with a blow of his fist that destroyed his 9 dignity, and he said Nay, but this head is my right, my and is in my hands.' Then they fought each other property, with fisticuffs till they were both exhausted, and, then, with what life was left, they summoned each other to arbitration and came to the keeper of the bath. I am the owner And the first said of this head for I besmeared its forehead and placed upon it its
to
'
'
'
clay.'
The second
its
*
:
asserted
' :
Nay, but
am
its
owner, for
rubbed
him,
So they both came to me head or his ? and said We want thy evidence, therefore undertake the duty So I arose and went and impose upon thyself the task.' 3
'
the bath "
Said the keeper of bearer and kneaded his joints.' Bring me the possessor of the head and I will ask
"
Is this thy
*
:
Said the keeper of the bath 'Man, speak nothing willy nilly. but the truth and witness nought but the fact, and tell me to
:
which of the two belongs

thee
4
!
this
head
'
'
replied
God
bless
has accompanied me upon the road, and encompassed the Ancient House 5 with me, and I have He said Silence never doubted but that it was mine.'
this is
my
.head,
it
'
garrulous fellow said Sirrah

' :
!
how
this
head
Be
to one of the disputants and long this contending with the people for satisfied, so valueless is it, let it go instead to
'
and then turned
To knead me
4*VqK
e
Literally, to pinch or squeeze

:
me.
uJGjz>
,
Destroyed his dignity
Literally, rent his veil.

G
:
ient
Aâ* Impose upon thyself the task affair. It means to undertake something
aJdT c^îlc
From
A^ a difficult
or inconven-
in spite of the inconvenience.
God
bless thee
Literally,
may God preserve
thee from sickness,
etc.
3
Uk-si^ <~#J\ The Ancient
House
The name given
to the
Ka'ba
in
Qur'an,
xxii, 30, because Muslims believe that this was the for the worship of God. See also Qur'an, tii, 90.
first edifice
built
and appointed
the curse of
133
God and
Hisham
:
the heat of His hell.

that
'
Suppose that
seen
this
this
head was not, and

Said 'Isa ibn
we have never
he-goat.'
arose from that place mortified, put and quickly slipped away from the my And I reviled the slave with evil-speaking and contumely bath. and pounded him after the manner of the pounding of gypsum.' Go and fetch me a barber to remove Then I said to another and he brought me a man of delicate build, from me this load 9 agreeable make, like an image, and I took to him quickly. Peace be to thee From which Then he came in and said 3 I town art thou ? Qum '. He said May God replied From a land of plenty and comfort, the city prosper thee
I
on
clothes in terror,
'
'
'
'
'
of the Sunnis.
the
was present there in its cathedral mosque in the lamps had been lit and the tardwih 5 prayers were inaugurated, but, before we knew it, the Nile rose and came and extinguished those lights, but God made me a shoe which I put on when it was green, but there And the boy was no embroidery produced on its sleeve.
I
month
of
Ramadan when
Gypsum
Said to be arabicized because
(g)
and
^\
do not
ordinarily occur in an Arabic word.

8
Probably from the Persian &$.

:
t*.x^
An
that
image, or a likeness
is
Metonymically applied to a
woman
or
anything
deemed
beautiful.
loan
word from Aramaic IVD*"?

ii,
from the root nD~f

i,
damd To
be
like. Cf.
Hariri,
611 and
Arab Proverbs.
408.
3
;
Qum : A town south-west of Hamadhan next to Meshed it is the most important place of pilgrimage in Persia. Yaqut writing in the thirteenth century says there was no trace of a non-Muslim in it.
The city of the Sunnis : Literally, of the practice and the agreement. The point here is that the people of Qum were exclusively Shi'ah, there was not a ' And all its inhabitants are Shi'ah of the Sunni in the city. (See Yaqut, iv, 175.)
Imamfsect?'
Geographers,
'
j*U\
iii,
I***
,4^ $*>\)
Qum';
Also de Goeji, Collection of Arabian
259, line 7
where Ibn IJauqal, a contemporary of the author,

also see Letters, p. 423.
says:
Shi'ism prevails at
:
This
is
the
first
of a
number of amazing malapropisms. * Tardwih A form of prayer performed at some period during the prayers night in the month of Ramadan, after the ordinary prayer of nightfall, consisting of twenty or more rak'as, according to the different persuasions, so called because
the performer rests after each
&^>j/ which
consists of four rak'as, or because
they used to rest between every two pairs of salutations.
(Lane, Lexicon, p. 1183
See also Letters,
p. 424.)
134
returned
l
THE MAQAMAT OF
to
BADI'
had performed the evening 2 But how was thy pilgriequal. prayer ? Didst thou perform all its ceremonies as was incummage " A marvel a marvel " So I looked bent ? And they cried out to the spectators at. the beacon, and how light a thing is war And I found the Harisah 3 in the same state, and I knew that the matter was decreed and pre-ordained by God. And how long this vexation ? And to-day, and to-morrow, and Saturday and Sunday, but I will not be tedious, but what is this prating ?
his
mother, after
is
when
the shadow
And
like thee to
know
that
Mubarrad
in
grammar wields
a keen razor, so do not occupy thyself with the speech of the common people. Now if ability preceded action, 5 I should have
Dost thou consider it advisable that we shaved thy head. I was bewildered at his 'Isa ibn Hisham Said begin ? fluency with his malaprop loquacity, and I feared he might
'
'
Till to-morrow, if God will." prolong his sitting, so I said Then I asked those present concerning him, and they said " This is a man from the country of Alexandria, this climate has disagreed with him and madness has overtaken him, so that
: :
"
The evening prayer :

after the setting of the light of the
Literally, the first part or third of the night,
jA-k and
the time of the prayers of nightfall
but the calling of that prayer the prayer of the i*jx as the
Arabs of the desert
named
3
it,
instead of calling
ii,
it
ULe
is
forbidden by the Shafa'f code (Minhadj
at-Talibin,
61).
Hence the malapropism.

:
Another malapropism. is equal : kind of thick pottage prepared of cooked bruised wheat, fleshmeat, butter, almonds, vegetables, etc. (See Mas'udf, viii, 402-3.) It is said to have been invented by the Sasanians and to have been the favourite dish of
the
3
When
shadow
Al-Harisah
Anushirwan.
4
Al-Mubarrad
(A.H. 210-286)
The well-known eminent
philologer and
iii,
grammarian, author of the Kdmil (edited by Wright).

*
Ibn Khallikan,
:
31.
J*AlT J-jf
'
ic&u-jT i&JlSs j&
Now
if ability preceded action
reference
Ash 'ante school representing the orthodox opinion the ability (istitd'a) to do the action goes along with the action and is the essence of the power (Qudra) by which the action takes places'. (Macdonald, Muslim Theology, p. 310.) This was how the orthodox disposed of the doctrine
to the technical language of the
that
of free will. On the other hand, the partisans of the Freedom of the Will maintained that the ability to do is always present. It is possible that Hamadhani may have been aware of the Aristotelian treatment of the question of and
evepyeca
Translations of Aristotle's works were to be found in the library of the $afcib to which the author probably had free access during his stay at the Warfr's court from A.H. 380.
8ut/a/U9.
135
he babbles the whole day, as you observe, but behind him there " I said, I have heard of him, and his is much excellence." madness grieves me." Then I recited and said
:
"
make a
I will
not shave
firm promise to God in a binding vow, my head as long as I live, even though
suffer inconvenience."
XXXIV.
4
THE MAQAMA OF FRESH BUTTER

related to us
fsA IBN
*
HISHAM
and said
turned aside with
a few
of
from
its
3
my friends to the front of a tent to ask hospitality occupants, and there came out to us a portly little
' :
man
have
and asked
tasted
Who
:
nothing
do you say to fresh butter of the flock, like the head of a bald man, in a broad 4 shallow dish adorned with the dates of Khaibar, taken from the bunch of a branch of a tall, young, and large palm-tree ? One of them would fill the mouth of one of a hungry company five 5 the tooth is lost in it, and its stone is like days without water
!
coughed and then said
are you for three "
'
We
'
replied
Guests
:
who
'
He nights.' O young men What
related
He
1 8
make a firm promise
Metre, ramal.
:
"
A number of persons from three to nine. fi A few (Individuals) A portly little man Literally, large-bellied and short, short dijo.
:
in step,
or a niggard.
think
Hamadhani had both meanings
in his
mind
the man's
appearance would justify the former and his behaviour the latter, e.g. he began by coughing and on p. 187 of the text we find that coughing is indicative of a disinclination to give. Cf. also Text, p. 218: 'O coughing of the host when the bread is broken.' 4 Khaibar A well-known town in the district of Hijaz and four days' journey,
:
or about fifty-four miles north-west of the city of Madina. In the time of Muhammad the name Khaibar was borne by a whole province which was inhabited by
various Jewish tribes.
It
comprised seven
fortresses,
meadows, and numerous

its
groves of palm-trees. It was noted for the abundance and excellence of Cf. the line of Hassan ibn Thabit quoted by Yaqut, ii, 505.
dates.
*
'
03
presents qasidas to us,
Verily as for us, he
who
him who exports dates to the land of Khaibar.' In A.H., 6 or 7, Muhammad made himself master of the place and all its castles and strongholds, and took spoils to a great value. Yaqut, ii, 504. Jewish EncyIs like
clopedia,
vii,
480.
utc
camels on the
fifth
Five days without water:
An
allusion to the drinking of

first
;
day counting the day of the next preceding as the
their
136
THE MAQAMAT OF
BADI*
it, taken with deep wooden drinking-bowls of milk drawn from good l milking-camels pastured on haram and rabl? O young men,
the tongue of a bird, and they scoop up the butter with
'
do ye Ha,
like
ha,'
"
'
it ?
We
answered
laughed the old

* :
Yes, by Heavens we like Your uncle also likes man,

:
!
'
it.'
1
it.
O young men What is your opinion of white unto a piece of molten silver collected on a round piece 3 From among you one of hide with the odour of the qaraz ?
Then he
said
!
flour like
springs forward, a young, comely and active man, and mixes it without violently disturbing or scattering it. Then he leaves After a while he mixes it thoroughly it before it is well kneaded.
with milk, more or

to
less diluted
with water.
He
next proceeds
4 up and then leaves it around the pan till it is leavened without becoming dry then he betakes himself to the 5 ghada wood and kindles it. Then, when the fire subsides, he
work
it
6 spreads it over his oven, goes to his dough, flattens it out, after he has well kneaded it, lays it upon the hot ashes and then
covers
it
up.'
it
'Then, when
has dried and risen, 7 he places on

8
it
hot
He covers them up stones sufficient to unite the two heats. over the bread, in the form of a round plate, until it cracks and resembles that of a circular cake, and its splits and its crust
drinking one, then pasturing three days, then coming to the water on the fifth day, the first and last days on which they drink being thus reckoned. Lane,
p. 810.
i
pj*
Haram The name

:
of a
plant
whose leaves are
intensely acid,
species of sorrel.
8 The name applied to certain sorts of trees that break forth J>~ Rabl : with leaves in the end of the hot season. They are intensely green.
j&\
Qaraz
species of
mimosa the
leaves and fruit of which arc used
for tanning.
* '
\
I~*^ The pan

:
Literally, a stone cooking-pot.
proverbial for making a powerful and lasting fire. This shrub, which is of the genus Euphorbia, is said to be peculiar to the Arabian Peninsula. See Palgrave in his Travels, i, 38 cf. De Sacy, Hariri, i, 60 and ii,
Al-Ghada
A wood
632.
8
\-Py*J*
Oven
Literally, a
hollow which a
man
digs wherein to
sit
to pro-
tect himself
*
from the cold.
^J
^
Risen
Literally,
:
became domelike.
That
is
The * wo heats
the heat above and the heat below.
brownness
l
137
8 allooks like that of the Hijaz date, famous as 3 4 or 'Idq ibn Tab. Wild honey, white as snow, is Jirdhan 5 then poured over it till it penetrates the brown crust and the
Umm
It is then brought before you, pith absorbs all it has upon it. and you gobble it with the gobbling of Juwain, 6 or Zankal. 7 He related: Each one of us Young men, do you desire it? stretched his neck towards what he had described, his mouth watered and he licked his lips and smacked them,' and we answered Ha ha Yes, by Heavens we like it.' laughed the old man, and said And your uncle, by Heavens does not
'
'
'
'
'
your opinion, O young and Aliya 6 which has fed upon men, Nejd the artemisia Judaica of Nejd, the artemisia abrotanum and 9 hashim, nibbled at the thick herbage and is filled with tender
hate
it.'
Then he
said
'
What
is
of a wild she-kid of
Her marrow is abundant, her inner membrane is grass ? 10 covered with fat and she has been slaughtered without blemish.
suspended head downwards in an oven till it is perfectly baked without being either burnt or underdone, and then it is placed before you with its skin cracked, exposing white fat, on a table with thin cakes disposed thereon, as though they
Next
it
is
with red clay.
were unfolded Egyptian linen, or fine cloth of Kohistan coloured It is surrounded with vessels containing mustard
Its
brownness
Literally, its redness.
Date
The term
applied to dates that have
become coloured but have not
become
3
ripe.
Cf.
Heb. ~iD2
;
unripe dates.
Umm al-Jirdhdn
'Idq ibn
Literally,
mother of the
field
It is
and the last to ripen. cut from the tree, the

4
cultivated in Hijaz. field mice collect beneath.

It is
mice. A large kind of date said that, before the fruit is
Tab
The name
:
of a species of palm-tree in
Madma.
this
g&Jk^ Brown crust
Literally, red leather.

Iv, 37.
is
For the use of
word
to
describe red colour, see Qur'an,

6
Juwain Diminutive
:
making
7
free with other people's property.

:
Zankal
Aliya
:
name of a man who was notorious for Fara'id Al-La'dl, i, 134. Ibn 'AH ibn Abu Fazara is mentioned on page 362 of the Taj alof Juwan,
the
'Arus, but there

8
9
is nothing to connect him with greedy feeding. Belonging to the region above Nejd.
:
Hashim
plant that
is
dry and
brittle.
For
10
^J^
in the text
read
is
^^\
from
:
it
became much or abundant,

is,
Her inner membrane 18
covered with fat
That
from
tail
to throat
138
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

raisin sauce
1
and divers kinds of fluid seasonings. 9 Then O young it is served to you exuding fat and dripping with gravy. do you like it ? We replied Yes, by Heavens we like men, He said And your uncle, by Heavens will dance for it.' it.' Then one of us sprang towards him with a sword and said Does not our hunger suffice thee that thou mockest us ? Then his daughter brought us a tray upon which were a piece of dry bread, scraps and leavings, and she entertained us well. So we departed, praising her and blaming him. and
'
'
'
'
XXXV.
'ISA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF
and said
:
IBLIS
I
HISHAM
I
related to us
lost
I
some camels
alighted
3
of
mine and
went forth
in search
of them.
in
verdant valley and behold there were running brooks, tall trees, an old ripe fruits, blossoming flowers and broad plains, and lo
!
man was
seated
there.
Now
made me I saluted him and he ordered me to sit down, and I obeyed. Then he asked me concerning my condition and Then he said to me Thou hast got thy I informed him.
person from his no fear.' Then
like
'
:
a solitary afraid of him, but he said Have

terrifies
that
which
'
Dost thou recite anything of the answered Yes,' and I recited from poems and Tarafa. But he was not Imr-al-Qais, 'Obeid, Labid, Shall I repeat pleased with anything of that and he asked I said to him Produce it.' Then he some of my poetry ?
guide and found thy stray.
of the
Arabs
'
'
'
recited
'The
co-partners have separated, they would not have parted.
but
had
obeyed,
And
they have severed our cords from the bonds of union,'

Raisin sauce
:
Made
:
of mustard
an a
raisins.
Fluid seasonings
Cf.
See Qur'an,
xxiii, 20.
Maqama twenty-five of the Text, p. 125 ; the themes are identical. This maqama is remarkable for its collection of recondite words and technical
;
terms
8
English.
the disquisition on Bedawin baking being extremely difficult to render into The conventional concluding lines of poetry are wanting.
!o^ *fy\
Brooks
Literally, little streams,

:
from &t~* he made
it little.
The co-partners have separated

Co-partners
:
Metre, basit.
See Ibn Qutaiba's Sh'ir

a cord of twisted bark
wi
Shu'ard, p. 9.
$\~j>\
plural of
yf
and
yf
literally,
with which camels are tied.
until
is
139
I
it,
he went over the whole qasida. Jarir's poem, the boys have conned
this but
if
said
' :
Shaikh
this
has entered the tents and reached

*
Stop
it
thou dost
know
:
women know it, it He said the assemblies.' of Abu Nuwas repeat poem
the
:
to me.'
*
So
recited to
him
1 not lament over the deserted abode, Nor will I yearn after the drivers of the white camels.
I will
The dwelling most worthy
of
abandonment
is
is
that one
2
In which union with the beloved
not long enjoyed.

is
What
splendid night was that which

it
past.
How
;
delightful
was
When
And
the cups took effect upon our haughty brethren
a young gazelle 3 whose eye spoke enchantment, Girded with a girdle, 4 an ally of the rosary and sanctification.
I
strove with
him
for a kiss,
and the wine was pure and
ruddy, 5 In the garb of a Qadi and with the piety of Shaikh Iblis. When we became intoxicated, and all the people were
drunk,
And
I
feared his overthrowing me with the cups, snored, feigning slumber, that I might put him to sleep,
I
/ will not
first
lament over the deserted abode

to
Metre, basit.
Abu Nuwas was
one of the
condemn
prologue to the qasida. Rumma, p. 49, to al-Farazdaq's condemnation of

s
the time-honoured prelude in the form of the erotic Allusion has already been made in the note on Dhu alit.
not long enjoyed
Literally,
is
not enduring, from
he lived with.
3
goU A
U-aAaf I
mother from îe

*
young gazelle : That has become strong and has no need he became strong,
*<
of its
3 i-Ale-y^ Girded with a

which
girdle,
an
ally of the rosary
and
sanctification.
In this line the poet seems to refer to Christianity (the girdle),

( <j~>.tf? )
Islam (the rosary), Judaism

Liturgy where God's
'
refers to that part of the Jewish
name
Holy
'
is sanctified.
'
Cf. Waraqah's exclamation to Khadija

(Wiistenfeld), p. 153.
Jyi
*
J.jjJ
Holy
'
Life of
Muhammad
The piety of Shaikh

Shaikh
For the use of
Iblis : An allusion to the piety of Iblis per contrariutn. as a title for Iblis, see Hariri, p. 144.
140
THE MAQAMAT OF
And both
bag.
his eyeballs clad themselves with sleep
BADI'
from
my
Then he
me,
stretched himself on a couch which
was
finer to
In spite of
1
its
disordered condition,
than the throne of
Balqis
And I visited his sleeping-place before the dawn, And when the sound of the church bells 2 indicated
morning.
the
So he asked, "
Who
is
that
3
"
answered
"The priest has come. And thy convent 4 must be ministered 5 by the priest." He said " By my life thou art a vile sort of a man."
:
But
said
' :
Never
am
not one to be blamed."

cried out
'
He
I
related:
' :
'Then he
rejoiced,
for
in
and shouted.'
!
So
said
God
disfigure thee
an old
of
man
to
know not
is
whether thou be more stupid

libertine
7
arrogating
thyself Jarir's
poetry, or in thy delight at the
poem
Abu Nuwas who
and a vagabond.'
He
said: 'Stop this!
Go
thy
way
The throne of Balqis

Baidawi says
stones.
this throne
(Queen of Sheba) See Qur'an,
xxvii, 23.
Its surface
was made of gold and silver and crowned with precious was eighty cubits square and its'height eighty cubits. Baidawi",
by Fleischer),
bells
:
Commentary
8
t
(
(edited
ii,
66.
(j*)*\*
j +,3\*A\
The
Plural of
arabicized from the Syriac naqusha,

it
an oblong piece of thick

mallet called
\>j>\
wood with
by
several holes bored through
struck with a
rabil, used
Christians in
Muslim countries
instead of church
Hence, in the present day, applied to a bell, bells to summon people to prayer. and particularly to the bell of a church or convent.
3
*
&\ The priest : Arabicized from the
Syriac qasha a presbyter.
^3
*
Probably
^3
plural J\>A\ a convent, monastery or cloister.
From
the
Syriac daird, Chaldaic.

5
-vn
:
-_Ay Ministered
The
context shows that the poet has evidently used

to minister, the double entendre of
the Hebrew tf^BttJn from tPEtt?

suits the line.
8
which
o-wJli
priest
From
the Syriac qashisha, from qash, to be old.
These verses are a sample of the thinly veiled obscene allusions in which Abu Nuwas revelled. They are not found in the published Diwan of this poet.
7
~4
libertine
The diminutive
is
used for aggrandizement.
141
and when thou dost meet on the road a man with a leathern bottle, who goes about in the houses, around the cooking-pots, " Direct boasts of his form and glories in his beard, say to him me to a bound fish in a sea, slender in the waist, that stings like His father is a stone, his a wasp, and turbans with light." mother a male. Gold is his head and flame is his name, and He acts upon clothes with the action of the rest of him is tail. In the house he is the bane of the oil, a greedy the moth. drinker never satisfied, and a glutton never sated. A bountiful he climbs the acclivity, and his giver whom none forbids
:
What pleases property does not decrease through generosity. him grieves thee, and what benefits thee injures him. I was
going to conceal from thee my story and live with thee in 1 There is comfort, but thou didst refuse, now hear the truth. 2 And I dictated not a poet but has a helper from among us.
this qasida to Jarir.
'Isa ibn
I
Hisham
'
:
Abu Murrah.' 3 Then he vanished and I saw him not.

I
am
the Shaikh
Said
And
went on headlong and met a man with a fly-whisk 4 in his 5 " hand. I said to myself, By Heavens this is my man." So I Then he handed me a lamp, told him what I had heard of him. " There is the to a dark cave in the mountain and said pointed He related thou hast with thee the lamp." cave and I entered it and behold I found my camels and they had taken the other direction, but I turned their heads and drove them back. Now, w hile I was in that situation in the wood, creeping stealthily through the thicket, lo! Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi met me Sirrah with a greeting.' I said to him what has driven thee
!
to this place
*
'
He
answered
' :
The
injustice of the days in

:
'
I said decisions, and the non-existence of generous men.' O Abu'1-Fath, give then thy command.' He said Bear me
:
Now
hear the truth : Literally, now take it. There is not a poet : An allusion to the popular
belief that every poet
was
in-
For a spired by a Jinn or Satan. Cf. the twenty-seventh Maqama, p. 137, line 5. similar story, see Letters of Abu 'Ala al-Mu'arri, translated by Professor Margoliouth, p. 74 and Yaqut,
3
vi, 122.
Abu Murrah:
Iblfs.
nicknames of
The most famous of the Literally, the father of calamity. Said also to have been the nickname of Pharaoh. Ibn al-Athfr,
Kunya
4
Lexicon, edited by Seybold, p. 197. fly-whisk : Literally a small leathern bottle.

Literally, so I said,
JJ&
142
-THE MAQAMAT OF BAM'

l
on a young she-camel, and supply me with some That is thine.' Then he recited and said I said
' :
provisions.'
:
for the man who gave me the choice. tasked him extremely, but he was generous. He scratched not his beard, he wiped not his nose and he did not cough.'
*
My
soul a
ransom
Then
told
him the
story of the
' : *
old
man, whereupon
This is the fruit of his he pointed to his turban and said I exclaimed O Abu'1-Fath, hast thou begged benevolence.' from the devil ? Thou art indeed a mighty mendicant.'
:
XXXVI.
'Is! IBN
THE MAQAMA OF ARMENIA

and said
:
HISHAM
related to us
When
was returning
from trading with Armenia, 3 the desert guided us to its children and we stumbled on them upon the outskirts thereof. They made our camels kneel down in that land of the ostrich, while they cleared our provision bags, and eased our camels of their burdens, and we remained all day 4 in the hands of the band. The thong
held us bound in groups and our horses were forcibly tied up, 5 until night followed up with its darkness and the Pleiades
extended
desert
its rays.
Then they went in the direction of the hinder part of the and we betook ourselves to the front thereof, and thus we continued till the beauty of the dawn arose from behind the
veil of
modesty, and the sword of the morning was drawn from But the sun arose upon nought except the sheath of darkness.
hair
and
skin.
We
ceased not to be in perils, averting their
Supply
me with some provisions

:
Literally,
pour some water into the wood.
3 district south of the Caucasus and the Black Sea which formed part of the ancient kingdom of Armenia which, according
a ransom Metre, kdmil. Armenia : The modern name of a
My
soul
to
Yaqut, comprised 118 provinces.

4
v^S" All day : Literally, the whiteness of the day, i.e. daylight, and whole day as long as it is light. hence the 8 Its darkness : Literally, its tails the dense darkness is compared to the
ij*ft
;
thickness of a horse's
8
tail.
:
&jt^
Its rays
Literally, its ropes
the similarity
is
obvious.
!
143
hindrances, and in the wastes traversing their surface, till we s And each one of us attached himself to a arrived at Meragha.
3 There clave unto me a youth companion and took a road. with wretchedness apparent upon him and an old worn-out garment over him, surnamed Abu'1-Fath al-Iskanderi. We went in search of the Father of Strengthening, and we found him appearing from a flame fed with the ghada wood. So alIskanderi went to a man, begged a handful of salt, and said to Allow me to use the top of the oven, 5 for I am the baker smitten with the cold,' Now, when he had ascended its hump, he began to relate to the people his condition, to inform them of his loss, and to scatter about the oven salt from beneath his skirts, making the people think he had vermin in his clothes. What aileth thee ? Perish thy father Gather So the baker said
4
' : ' :
!
And he proskirts, for thou hast spoiled our bread.' ceeded to take the loaves and to throw them away. And alIskanderi began to pick them up and to put them under his
up thy
arm.
said
what he did amused me. He next scheme to get something to eat with And he went to for there is no device with destitution.' it, had arranged in rows clean vessels, in which were a man, who different kinds of milk, so he enquired the price and asked Do so.' Then he permission to taste it. The man said moved his fingers about in the vessel as though he were seeking I have not the price of it something he had lost, and said
Now
his
cunning
in
Wait
for
me
till
'
The with me, but hast thou a desire for a shave ? Art thou a barber ? 7 God disfigure thee exclaimed
'
'
'
man He
it,
replied
Yes.'
Then he made
for
his ancestry to
revile
Traversing their surface

atively for traversing the surface.
9
Literally, stripping their bark, figur-
Meragha A town in Azerbaijan the north-west province of Persia. Took a road: That is, each took a different way. 4 Abu Jdbir The Father of Strengthening: Bread. Hariri calls 'ummu Jabir The Mother of Strengthening. Hariri, p. 224.
:
harfseh
',
Allow me
to use the top of the
oven
Literally,
lend
me
the head of the
oven.
6
with pJ\ something to eat
it
From
p3\
he mixed the bread with season-
ing.
7
Art thou a barber?
barber was held.

class of society.
An allusion to the contempt in which the calling of a According to Jahiz the barber was taken as typical of the lowest Haywan, iii, 46. Cf. Hariri, p. 629.
144
THE MAQAMAT OF
vessel to
' : *
:
BADI'
Prefer me empty it. So al-Iskanderi said He said Take it, and mayest thou not be blessed to Satan.' through it.' So he took it and we went to a secluded spot and consumed it all at once. Then we journeyed on till we came So a young to a village, and we begged food of its inhabitants.
and the
man from among the people hastened to his house and brought us a large bowl whose utmost capacity milk had filled. 1
We
sipped but they refused it except on payment of the price. Al-Iskanderi asked What aileth ye that ye are generous with the milk but
' :
it
until
we
finished
it.
Then we asked them
for bread,
refuse
'
The boy answered the bread except on payment ? This milk was in a large vessel and a mouse fell into it. There'
fore
*
we give Good God

!
it
'
as alms to travellers.' Al-Iskanderi exclaimed and he seized the bowl and smashed it. Then
'
'
Alas the loss Alas my spoliation the boy shouted Then did our flesh creep, our stomachs were turned and we got rid And I said of what we had eaten. This is the reward for
:
! !
what we did
saying
*
:
yesterday.'
And Abu'1-Fath
3
al-Iskanderi indited
He
soul be not squeamish, for the hardy hath no qualms, who associates with Time eats, the while, fat and lean.
Therefore wear for one season the new, and put on for another the old.'
XXXVII.
'Is! IBN
THE MAQAMA OF THE NAJIM

and said
:
HISHAM
4
related to us
company
of clever
men
at.
* :
of
my
I
friends.
We
'
passed a night with discussed chaste
speech, and
'
we had
not bidden farewell to the conversation
when
our door was knocked

visitor
?
So
asked
Who
is
the nocturnal
its
He
answered
The envoy
of night
and
messenger.
^ Whose capacity milk had filled

stopped
2
Literally, the milk
had
its
breath.
&1S \i\
Good God\
The
full
formula
'
'
is,
verily
we belong
to
God
',
so that
in the
He may
3
4
do with us what
be not
He
pleaseth
and
verily to
Him do we
return
',
ultimate state of existence.
Said on an occasion of an
:
affliction or calamity.
O soul
squeamish
:
Metre, mujtath.
rt.i.a'ri
A company
Literally, a military force,
a troop.
AL-2AMAN AL-HAMADHAN1
The
is
145
its outcast, and an exile whose beast and fatigued, whose life is hardship, and between whom and his two chicks are vast deserts. A guest whose shadow is and whose stray is a loaf. Is there, therefore, among light, So we hastened to open the door, we made his you a host ? camel kneel down, concentrated his purpose, and said to him To thine own house hast thou come, and thine own people hast thou reached, and come into the house.' We smiled upon him, welcomed him, and showed him his stray. We helped him till he was sated, and we talked to him until he became friendly, and then we asked Who is this star rising from his orient, the bewitcher with his diction ? He answered, None knows the
defeated of hunger and
lean
1
'
'
'
'
wood
as the Najim. I have associated with Time that I might test it. I have extracted its essences, and milked all its teats. 4 I have tried the
I
like
the biter.
am
popularly
known
I might know them and I know the lean and the them and exile that I might taste it. No country has among looked at me whose eye I have not plucked out 5 and there is
people that
fat
no gathering together of friends that I have not entered. Therefore I am talked of in the east and I am not repudiated in the west. There is not a king whose carpet I have not trodden 6 upon, no serious situation whose flank I have not penetrated, and no war has ceased in which I have not been an envoy. Time has tried me in its two phases, ease and distress, and it has met me with its two faces, the smiling and the frowning,
but
1
exposed not myself to

tJUai
&Ik
its
hardship save in
:
its
own
j-^
garb.
of oppres-
Whose shadow
is light
Contrast this with JkiT

Cf. Hariri,
i.
sive shade,
3
i.e.
disagreeable, or inconvenient.
biter
:
250.
The ^>UJ^
An Arab
bites a piece of
wood
to test its
soundness for
making an arrow or a lance.

3
'pf)\\
j~*C,t
The Ndjim
j
Literally, the Rising Star.

its teats: Freytag,
its
ayaM cs^L- I have milked all
Arab Proverbs,
and
its
i,
346.
figure for having experienced varieties of fortune,
ness,
as
yields plenty
8
compared to one who has milked and that which does not.
all
amplethe teats of the camel, that which

trod
straitness
VfrLri
6
yUi Plucked out
its eye
its
That
is,
its
surface.
iLU~. Its flank: Literally,
rank.
^î
'Wear
p. 510.
In
its
garb
Cf
'
the sa y in g of Baihas.
l^lp &\L a
(edited
j& (J^\a - -
for every condition its proper dress,' also,
Hamasa
by Freytag),
19
146
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

And And
if
the changing of
Time formerly
l
loaded
me
with
its
evil-accidents
what
injured me, it loads with,
It verily brought benevolence when it set me down In a good place from which there is no removal.'
2 How excellent thy teeth not be broken art thou and thy father Silence is not unlawful except to thee, and speech is not lawful save to thee. Whence hast
We
said
May
thou risen and where dost thou set

impels thy desire before thee
What
it
is
that
which
as
and drives thy object

is
in front of
thee?'
He
said:
As
is
for the native land,
Yemen;
it
regards the need it tress and the bitter

in this place
the rain, and as for the motive

:
is
dis-
life.' Said we we would share our
'If thou wouldst but stay
life
with thee and
all
else.
get rain with which to cultivate, and heavy down3 pours from the rain-stars deep enough to drink from, without He said I will not prefer using hand or vessel.' any com* :
Thou wouldst
panions to you, for I have found your court spacious, but your rain is water and water quencheth not the thirsty.' So we
asked
of
What rains Khalaf And he

' :
will satisfy thee
'
He
answered
'
The
rain
.'
indited saying
!
'
fleet
camel
visit
To
5
Sijistan
And
If
1
to the ocean to
whose shores
desires repair.
it,
thou
Arjan, thou wilt go to

:
And if the changing of Time May thy teeth (literally mouth)

is
:
Metre, tawil. not be broken
The phrase
as used
by the
Prophet,
3
*M *W cj^
3
:
May God
pi.
not break thy mouth.
s>\J$\
The rain-stars
of
y The literal
its
meaning of
is
the setting in
the early morning of one of the twenty-eight mansions of the moon, or
while the opposite constellation, called
s-;
or watcher,
was
rising.
The
auroral settings of these constellations served
among
the Arabs to denote the
seasons of rain, wind, or heat. Just as among the Greeks and Latins the setting of the Hyads or the rising of Sirius indicated particular states of the weather. As
the Arabs in their observations of the seasons thought chiefly of rain, which was
to moisten their parched fields, the word y became equivalent with rain. Hariri, i, 215. The belief of the Arabs of the Ignorance that the rain was produced by the settings of the stars was discouraged by Muslim teachers and from
;
an anecdote related of 'Umar (See Lane, Article J^) the Khalifa seems to have considered that the supply of rain was a sign that sins were pardoned, basing his opinion on Qur'an, Ixxi, 10. Chenery's Translation of Hariri, i, 443-5.
4
O fleet camel ! To Sijistan : Metre, mutaqdrib. Arjan and Arrajan : a large town in Seistan, sixty parasangs from
its
Shiraz,
famous for
palm-trees, olive groves and fruits.
And
Desiring one and wilt return with a hundred complete, the superiority of the Amir over Ibn al-'Amid. 1
Is like that of the
a
147
Quraish
:
over Bahila
'
!
Said 'fsa ibn
Hisham
him
farewell.
After
Then he went forth and we bade he had gone we continued a long while
us.
wishing for him, while his absence pained
Now
one cloudy
day we were seated together like the string of the Pleiades, when suddenly mounts were driven, led horses were brought We asked Who is the up, and lo a man ran in upon us.
'
! :
intruder
'
and behold
it
proudly
wealth.
thee,
in the guise of realized
was our Shaikh, the Najim, walking desires and in the skirts of
'
:
We arose,
'Isam
'
and, embracing him, asked
What
is
behind
O
'
He
answered
'
Laden camels, loaded mules

:
and locked
bags.'
And he
5
indited saying
O my
master,
what base thing

?
6
is
there
that
Khalaf
doth not disapprove of
And what good thing is there that he doth not attain to The seekers of largess hear no word save " Take it ", And he is not answered, save by " Give it ".
1
Ibn al-'Amid
(ob. A.H. 359 or 360).
7s like that of the
Fadl
Muhammad
versatile
Ibn
Quraish over Bahila. This was praise indeed. Abu'lal-'Amid, Wazir of Rukn Al-Daula, the Buwayhid
was one of the great men of the fourth century of the Hijra. He and an accomplished scholar and was called a second Jahiz. Tha'alibi says (Yatima, iii, 3) that epistolary writing began with 'Abd al-Hamfd
prince,
was a
(d.
A.H. 133) Katib, or secretary, to
Marwan
the last of the
Umayyad
Khalifas,
and ended with Ibn al-'Amid. Among those who studied the epistolary art under him was the Sahib Ibn 'Abbad. As Wazir, his authority and influence were unbounded. (Ibn Khallikan, iii, 256 also Der Islam, iii, 323-5, were a full notice of the Wazir by H. F. Ahmedroz will be found.) 8 Bahila : The meanest of the Arab tribes. The Arabs who were members of this tribe had an extreme repugnance to bearing this surname. A poet has said " " thou Bahilite were addressed to a dog he would howl from the If the words, ignominy of such an appellation.' (Ibn Khallikan, ii, 518.) For a further example
; :
'
of this repugnance, see

4
Aghdni,
vii, 12.
fUc G dMjj
What
is
behind thee,
'
Iscim
Freytag,
Arab Proverbs,
ii,
used by Harith ibn 'Amr king of Kindeh and addressed to 'Isam, a clever Kindite woman, whom he had sent to bring a descrip589.
first
Said to have been
tion of the beautiful
whom
and gifted daughter of 'Owf ibn Muhallam, Al-Shaibani he wished to marry. This proverb is said to have another origin, see Chenery's Translation of Hariri, i, 519. 5 O my master : Metre, kamil.
6
Doth not disapprove of: Page
195, line 7 of Text,
for
\#\>
read Â>.
I9a
148
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

Verily noble deeds disclosed their faces And he was the mole on their cheeks.
fair,
May my
father
be a
ransom
for
his
qualities
which
manifest greatness,
And for the hand in whose movements thou seest blessings Whoever counts them the benefactions of the age, verily I
Am
one of those that reckon the age to be one of their
benefactions.'
Said 'Isa ibn
Hisham
'
:
We
asked
the
God
to spare
l
him and
for
to bless us with his
company.
And
Najim stayed
days
restricting his tongue to expressing gratitude for his kindness, and employing not his speech save in praising his days and
talking of his
gifts.'
XXXVIII.
'fsA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF KHALAF 2

:
nd said When I was invested with authority over Basra, and was going down thither from the 3 there accompanied me on the boat a youth, as Presence,
HiSHAM
related to us
In the sides though he were health in the body. He said of the world and its directions I am lost, but I can be counted Dost equal to a thousand and I can take the place of a line. 4 thou desire to take me as a favourite, and not seek from me any
' :
recommendation
'
said
*
:
What recommendation
stronger
?
than thy excellence, and what means greater than thy wisdom
pp. 16, 17. 2 Khalaf ibn Ahmed : Amir of Sijistan (Seistan) (b. 326, died in prison A.H. The date of his appointment by the Samanide ruler is not given but in 354 399).
there
is
1 His, i.e. Khalaf's, kindness. The part of this describes himself has much in common with the fourth
Maqama where
Maqama,
the Najim
Mahmud
Khan
a reference to a revolt against his rule (Ibn al-Athir, viii, 416). In 393 of Ghazna wrested Sijistan from him and sent him into honourable
captivity to Juzjan, but four years later
he was detected
in
an attempt to
incite Ilik
against the conqueror and was kept in close confinement in Jardiz till his death in A.H. 399. He was a great patron of letters and is said to have got together a number of learned men to make an exhaustive compilation of interpretations of His the Qur'an. The result of their labours was a work of a hundred volumes
!
and the treacherous way he compassed the death of the Qadi Abu Yusuf have cast a stain upon his memory. (H. F. Ahmedroz in the JRAS, 1901, pp. 524-31, and Ibn al-Athir, ix, 113-123.) 3 From the Presence : That is, from the presence of the Khalifa at Baghdad.
cruel treatment of his sons
O-C
4
d*.ux
favourite
Literally, a
good action.
Nay, but
I
149
l
will
render thee the service of a friend

r
and be
partners with thee in
we
travelled on.
So easy and straitened circumstances.' w hen we reached Basra, he disappeared Now,

because of his absence,
from
me
for days, and,

2
my
I
endurance
for
was him
thou
will
straitened
and
3
had no patience
left,
so
searched
in the interior
* :
of the
asked him
flee
?
'
What didst He said Verily

' :
country till I found him. Then I thou disapprove of and why didst
breast as
fire is
kindled in
estrangement rankles in the the fire-stick. If it be extinguished, it

it
subside 4 and vanish, but, if it continue to exist, and spread. And the vessel will fill and overflow,
fall
will scatter
if
the
left
drops
alone,
into
it
consecutively
5
and reproach, when
it
is
will
hatch and
lay.
No
snare catches the free-born like bounty,
and no scourge repels him like rudeness. But, in any case, we look do\vn from above, upon the generous with an amorous glance, and upon the ignoble with a contemptuous regard. Therefore he who meets us with a long nose, 6 we will meet him with an elephant's trunk, and him who regards us askance, we
will dispose of for a paltry price.
Now, thou
didst not plant
me
is
for thy slave to

sell
its
uproot me, nor didst thou buy
me
for thy
servants to
me.
A man
is
known by
his servants, as a
book
Therefore, if their rudeness was superscription. that thou didst command, what made it necessary ? something And, if thou w ast not aware of it, that is most surprising.' Then
r
known by
he said
S
'
The friend
slave
2
'.
Another, and more appropriate, reading
Jj-uJ
the
UijJ
o&ai
My
endurance was
straitened
Literally,
my
arm,
the
symbol
3
of power,
was contracted.
:
v*^-^
Interior
Literally, the pockets
and also the approaches of a
country.
4
vs^G
Will subside:
(Literally, spread).
Another reading and the one
have translated,
__
>
côb subsided.
Cf.
:
the expression &jj&\ cu.G sedition spread.

natural order has been reversed for the
to the tradition
&,
ji
,jMfj sake of the

ji j
Hatch and lay
The
rhyme.
Probably an allusion
quoted by Lane
(p.
2362)
yUlJL^ ^&J ycG The Devil made

its
his fixed
abode among them
like as
a bird
keeps to the place of

<_aiVj
eggs and young ones.

Figurative for great disdain.
With a long nose:
150
'
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

The two hands
for
of
Khalaf
ibn
Ahmad
have prospered,
he
is
Easy of access, and his servants are respectful. Hast thou not observed that generosity passes over mankind
And
takes
its
abiding place in his hand
'
Said 'Isa ibn
Hisham
'Then
he
turned
away and
followed him to conciliate him, and I ceased not to soothe him " till he turned back after he had sworn, I will not go to one
whose company
is
bad."
So
gave him the respect due to him.'
XXXIX.
'IsA
THE MAQAMA OF NISHAPUR

:
IBN HiSHAM related to us and said
was
at
Nishapur
on a Friday so I presented myself at the obligatory? When I had performed it there passed by me a man who had donned a tall hat and turned a portion of his turban beneath his chin 4 So I asked the worshipper at my side, Who like the Sunni's.
'
He said This is a moth that attacks none but the is this ? woollen garment of the orphans, a locust that falls upon none but the forbidden crop, a burglar that breaks into 5 none but the
'
'
treasury of pious bequests, a Kurd that raids upon none but the weak, a wolf that preys upon none but God's servants, between
their kneeling
and prostration, a warrior that plunders nothing but God's property, under cover of covenants and witnesses. He has donned his tall hat but doffed his piety he has
;
conventionally put on his cloak but perverted the use of his hand
The two hands of Khalaf Metre, kdmil. Cf. Letters, pp. 264-5. Nishapur (Naisabur) : A well-known town, the capital of the province of the same name, situated forty-nine miles west of Meshed. It was captured by the Arabs in A. H. 31. Yaqut in his Geographical Dictionary, iv, 757, referring to this place says of all the cities he had visited Naisabur (Nishapur) was the finest.
1
:
It
was
in this city, says Tha'alibi
(Yatima,
iv,
168) that
Hamadhanf wrote
rival the
his
four hundred
3
maqamat and vanquished
his
great literary
renowned
Abu Bakr al-Khwarazmi.

The obligatory : See Qur'an, Ixii, 9, which commands attendance at congregational worship on Fridays. 4 Turned a portion of his turban beneath the chin : Ibn al-Athir refers
to a tradition of the prophet wherein the people were commanded to tie the extremity of the turban under the chin and were forbidden to do otherwise.
(Nihayah under
j
'
-C-
^&\.)
:
*-r^->
Breaks into
Literally, borest
and tongue
;
151
l he has clipped short his moustache but lengthened he has displayed his vehement eloquence, 2 but his snares he has whitened his beard, 3 but covered up his defects he has paraded his abstinence, but blackened his record
;
I said concealed his greed.' He replied who art thou ?

'
'
:
May God curse the fellow but I am a man known as al-Iskan!
grew this excellence, and the father that left this progeny, and, where He answered, To the Ka'ba.' So I said art thou going ?
deri.'
I
said
'
May God
bless
the land
that
'
'
'
Excellent
are,
Excellent
is
its
feast,
though
still
unprepared
' :
We
that,
1
in that case, fellow-travellers.'

I
He
said
How
is
:
I asked going up and thou art going down ? How canst thou go up to the Ka'ba ? He replied But I am going to the Ka'ba of the needy, not to the Ka'ba of the 5 pilgrims, to the station of generosity not the station of sanctity,
when
am
'
'
'
to the house of captives,
not to the house of sacrifices, to the

8
source of
gifts,
not the Qibla

'
of prayer,
10
:
to the desire
*
of
guests, not to the
these excellences
Mina of Khaif.' I asked Then he indited saying

:
And where
are
Clipped short his moustache
Still
regarded as an outward
mark
8
of piety.
fl5&&.A His vehement eloquence

or faucial bag.
From
jJuiA.
he
(a
camel) brayed
in his shiq-shiqa,
then vehement eloquence.
'All and interrupted by a handing him a letter. When desired by Ibn 'Abbas to continue his address, 'Ali answered 'Alas Ibn 'Abbas, the Shiqshiqa has roared and subsided ', meaning that the inspiration of the moment had gone. [Nahaj al-Baldgha, p. 26 (Beyrut
:
!
The primary meaning is loudness of voice and Shiqshiqa is also the name of a sermon preached by member of the congregation, a man from 'Iraq,
ed.
i,
A.H. 1308)].
3
The saying became

:
proverbial.
See Freytag, Arab Proverbs,
673.
Whitened his beard *G
^ U^
<sU\
To
give himself a venerable appearance.
^5
God
bless the
land
!:
Literally,
:
may God water

Muzdalifa.
the land
The station of sanctity
That
is,
The house of captives

paigns.
7
The
spoils of his victorious
cam-
^
iSUMj vLiC^
Gifts
:
and prayer
See
De
Sacy,
Hariri,
i,
18 for a
similar play on these words.

8
Qibla
Desire
That part
of the horizon, or of a
mosque, which
is
in the direction
of
Mecca towards which Muslims turn

9
10
:
to say their prayers.
Text, p. 201, line

:
5,
for
read
to
^Z.
which the pilgrims descend on
Mina al-Khaif
A small
town near Mecca,
the morning of the 'Id,
152
'
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

Where
might,
are the
Faith and the king
strengthened with
is
Through whom the cheek of noble deeds In a land where hopes flourish, For Khalaf ibn Ahmad is its rain-cloud.'
XL.
'Is! IBN
dyed rosy
red.
THE MAQAMA OF KNOWLEDGE

related to us
:
and said I was crossing one of those parts where exile had thrown me, when behold I met a man who was asking another, By what means hast thou acquired
' '
HISHAM
knowledge and found
? it
the latter, answering him, said I sought it 2 to be difficult of access. It is not shot with a
:
And
'
shaft, nor allotted
3 by the divining arrows.
It is
not seen in the
dream nor controlled with the
bridle.
It is
neither inherited from
Therefore I paternal uncles, nor borrowed from the generous. adopted, as a means of attainment thereto, the making of clods
a bed, the taking of a stone for a pillow, repelling weariness,
braving danger, prolonging vigils, making a companion of travel, much reading and meditation. And I found it to be a thing
suitable only for planting, and it is not planted save in the mind. quarry that is ensnared but rarely and is not caught, save in A bird that is deluded only by the snaring of the the breast.
it
word, and nought catches

I
laid
it
upon
my
soul
and confined
but the net of memory. Therefore it within my eye. I spent
Where are the Faith and the king : Metre, wafir. These expressions regarding the two Ka'bas will be found in No. 38, page 101, of Hamadhani's Letters. They are cited by Tha'alibi (Yatima iv, 176) as a specimen of Hama1
dhani's elegant epistolary style. They are also quoted by Ibn Khallikan, 113. Their chief merit consists of a mere play on words impossible to preserve in a rendering into English. For similar and additional criticisms of the Qadi and a
description of
*
what a Qadi should
be, see the Author's Letters, pp. 168-9.
will
be found
access: This and the succeeding five sentences f\7*Mju*> Difficult of in No. 41, p. 165 of the Letters where almost the entire maqama is
the divining arrows
reproduced verbatim.
3
*$;$^
By
.'
By means
of
which the Arabs
in the
This practice
*
time of the Ignorance. (Barbarism), sought to is forbidden in Qur'an, v, 4.
know what was
allotted to them.
f^S^ With
by
a bridle
Literally, with a bit, i.e. the appurtenances of a

its
bridle,
an extension of meaning, applied to this with
straps
arabicized from
the Persian *V$3
Lagdm,
my
means, but stored
153
I
my
mind.
wrote elegantly by virtue of
much reading, and passed on from reading to investigation, and from investigation to composition, and I relied therein on divine
guidance.'
Now
heart,
and quickly entered the

'
heard language such as penetrated the breast, so I asked

:
'
ear,
'
reached the
young man
:
Whence
the orient of this sun

is
?
1
Then he began
if
to say
Alexandria
my
home,
but in
it
my
resting-place
were fixed. But my night

XLI.
'ISA IBN
pass in Syria, in 'Iraq
my
day.'
THE MAQAMA OF ADVICE

to
HISHAM
related
us and said
When
Abu'1-Fath
sit
al-Iskanderi equipped his son for commerce, he down to admonish him. After he had praised
made him
God and
bless
re-
praised
!
Him, and blessed His Apostle

' :
May God
and save
dear son, though I rely upon the soundhe said him ness of thy wisdom and the purity of thy stock, still I am 2 and the solicitous augurs ill. And I am not free solicitous
O my
from fear for thee on account of desire and its power, and lust and its demon. Therefore seek aid against them, in the day by fasting, and in the night by sleeping. Verily it is a garb whose exterior is hunger and whose interior is sleep, and no lion has ever put it on whose fierceness has not been softened. Hast
thou understood them both,
son of the
vile
woman
And, as
fear the consequences of that
on thee,
am
not
reassured as to the effect upon thee of two thieves, one of them 4 is generosity, and the name of the other is greediness.
1
Alexandria
to
is
my home
Metre, mujtath.
74.
Cf. the fifteenth
and the course

this
A very interesting disquisition on knowledge be followed in the acquisition thereof. We have doubtless in
maqama,
p.
maqama
OO
a statement of the author's
own methods
1
of study.
An
amplification
on pp. 165-8 of the Letters. For a synopsis of both, see end of the Cambridge MS, 1066 (Badi al- Zaman).
of the idea will be found
-.....
*-
(j,a
& ^y\
Still I
am
'
solicitous
An
allusion to the proverbial saying

is
Verily the very solicitous, or affectionate,

i.e.
addicted to
evil
opinion (Lane's Lexicon, p. 1573),

~
^.
he fears for his friend the accidents of
time.
*o
son of the vile

:
woman
An example
of playful abuse.
Greediness
Literally, intense longing for meat,
20
154
'
THE MAQAMAT OF BADI

Beware
of these
two
Verily generosity
is
quicker in con-
l suming wealth than the moth-worm is in wool, and greediness 2 is more Do not quote me their saying, unlucky than Basus. " Verily God is generous ", that is a ruse to wean the child. Yea, verily God is indeed generous, but God's generosity increases us but does not decrease Him it benefits us, but does not injure
;
Him. Now whoever is in this condition let him be generous. But a generosity that does not increase thee till it decreases me,
that does not feather thee
I
will not
say
3 plucks me, is an abandonment, a fiendish one but a fatal one. Hast thou
till it
(_j*^J\
3 ~*
(f
j~*\ Quicker than the
moth-worm
The proverb
i.
is
(.y
}\
(j*]~$\
2
more voracious than the moth-worm.
See Arab Proverbs,

:
133.
(jrtj^H
i,
p\-&\
More unlucky than al-Basus
(Freytag,
Arab Proverbs,
Al-Basus was the daughter of Munqad the Temimite and aunt of Jessas 683). ibn Murrah. She had a neighbour named Sa'd, and his she-camel named Serab
(See Arab Proverbs, i, 704) having trespassed on the guarded domain of Kulayb Wail, the powerful chief of the stock Rabiah, Kulayb shot it. Jessas, incited by al-Basus, who was enraged at this outrage upon her neighbour, slew Kulayb and the feud began between the tribe of Taghlib, of which Kulayb's brother Muhalhil
was now
3
in the utter defeat of the tribe of
This war, which lasted forty years, ended Taghlib. Hariri, i, 307 and Aghdni, iv, 139-151 That does not feather thee till it plucks (Literally, pares) me : Cf. the
chief,
and the
tribe of Bakr.
proverbial expression.
1
^-o
S* (j~>
>
)&i
such a one neither

'
profits
nor injures.
'
<^fo ($~^)
<*$}**
Jj*^
^ / will not say
Abqari but Baqari
This
is
one of the several indigestible morsels to be found in this

first
maqama.
of the Jinn.
As regards the
word the legend
is
that
a*c (Abqar)
is
was a resident
So that who(See
ever does a thing superlatively well
said to be a sprite of Abqari.

sprite
;
De
Sacy,
it
Hariri,
i,
257), &>~jfl*c
^sjWjS 'whose
_
is
not to be vied with'.
Hence
came
to
mean some one pre-eminent

-e3
e.g.
the Prophet related in a dream

I
s -.G_
_.
mentioning 'Umar,
&>y ^ô \>^.^\

1
'and
have not seen a chief of a people

It is
:
do his wonderful deed.
Literally, strike his stroke.
applied as an epithet
denoting superlativeness of any quality.
As used by Zuheir
*
+*
'
With horses upon which were demons
Deserving to get what they sought and to conquer the foe.' (Shu'ara Nasraniah, p. 570, edited by Sheikho, Beyrut). Al-Sam'anf shows 'Abkar to have been a real person who was remarkable for It is, therefore, clear, Cf. Herculean. his great strength (Ansab, p. 382, line 24). when the Arabs wish to exaggerate the description of a thing, they call it
Abqari.
or
^b
Baqari
is
applied to
those
who
dwell with a
man and
155
understood them, O son of the unlucky woman ? Verily mer1 And imagine between chandise brings water out of the stones. one meal and another an ocean gale, except that there is no
danger, and the distance to China, except that there
is
no
travel.
Wilt thou abandon
it
when
?
it
where
it
is
not to be had
?
presented and then seek it Hast thou Perish thy mother

is
!
understood them both

Verily
it is
wealth
May God
bless thee
therefore be sure
not to spend except from the profits. Thou shouldest eat bread and salt, and thou hast permission in regard to vinegar and onions, as long as thou feelest no repugnance towards them and
dost
flesh
not unite them.
And
flesh is as valuable as
thine
own
and methinks thou eatest it not. And sweetmeat is the food of him who cares not on which side he falls. 2 And one meal a day 3 is the fare of the pious. And eating, when hungry,
is
Then be with people
a protection against loss, but, when sated, it invites death. 4 like the chess player, take all they have
and keep all thou hast. O my dear son, I have caused thee to hear and delivered the message, therefore, if thou accept it, God
will be sufficient for thee, but,
if
thou reject
it,
God
will
be thy
reckoner.
God
all.'
bless our
Lord Muhammad,
his family
and
his
companions
whose maintenance
i)
is
incumbent upon him, and, therefore, dependents
or
Relating to the ox, ox disease or bulimy.

'
not say ', etc., be taken as qualifying abandonment the interpretation will be as in the translation, but if regarded as qualifying generosity the I will not call it (generosity), rendering would be something superlatively good
If
I will
'
'
'
'
'
but a deadly
evil.
>
^xi
6 ;
^xS
U^ Merchandise brings water out of the stones

Cf.
Apparently a proverbial saying.

2
maqama,
:
xxii.
cares not on which side he falls something which will ruin him.
8
Who
Said of one
who
deliberately does
wyll^^ One meal a day
From
^^
he ate once a day.
Chess : Arabicized from Old Persian Chatranj, Sanskrit Chaturanga, gJjSaA^ the four angles, or members of an army (elephants, horses, chariots, footSee Letters, p. 393, where there is a composition almost identical soldiers).
literally,
with this maqama.

ii,
The conventional concluding
lines are wanting.
Cf. Hariri,
654.
156
THE MAQAMAT OF
XLII.
BAD!'
THE MAQAMA OF SAIMARA

and said
r
'Is! IBN
HISHAM
related to us
Said
Muhammad
*
'
ibn
Ishaq, popularly things that have

chose, selected,
known as Abu l-'Anbas of Saimara Of the come down to me from my brethren whom I and stored up against calamities, wherein was a
:
admonition, warning and education for such persons as will take them, that it is to say, I was coming from Saimara to the City of Peace and I had bags of dinars,
it
matter which has in
furniture, equipment, etc.,
on account of which
needed no one.
So
merchants, leading
fortune,
I
associated with people of great families, secretaries of state, men of fame, from among men of wealth,
;
and opulence, and owners of estates a company that and treasured for adversity.' And we ceased not indulging in the morning and the evening 2 minced draughts, feeding on sucking-kids, Persian omelets 4 meat a la Ibrahim? pungent fried meats, kabob a la Rashid? and lamb. And our drink was mead, and our singing was by Our dessert was beautiful and skilled ladies of world renown. And our sweetand sugar-candy. 6 peeled almonds, sugar, smelling flower was the rose and our perfume was Nad. And because of my liberality, my generosity and the squandering of
selected for social intercourse
my
store, I
was, in their opinion, wiser than 'Abd-Allah ibn
Saimara
town near Basra.
al-'Absi, generally
known
poet, a celebrated wit, works on a variety of subjects, several of
ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Alf Saimara (d. A.H. 275) was a cultured a famous raconteur, and the author of about thirty-four
as Abu'l-'Anbas of
Muhammad
them
of a
humorous character.
He
held
the office of Qadi of Saimara and was the boon companion of the Khalifa kil (assassinated A.H. 247). (Yaqut, vi, 401 ; iii, 443.)
8
Mutawak-
<Lw~.A6JTi5^ftJS> LLJ^
Persian omelets
food of a species of flesh-meat,

*<&J&W>
eggs, onions,
3
and water, arabicized from the Persian JfeQ or

:
la
Ibrahim
who is supposed to Ibn Khallikan, i, 16. * Kabob : A. well-known word, applied to small morsels of meat generally roasted on skewers, said to be Persian.
That is, Ibrahim al-Mehdi, the brother of Harun al-Rashid, have been very fond of this dish, born A.H. 162, died A.H. 224.
la
Rashid
Relating to the Khalifa

:
Harun
al-Rashid.
axe, or hatchet,
ouly^ Sugar-candy
Literally, sugar
chopped with an
arabicized from the Persian
an axe and J perf. of <^j
to strike.
1
157
2
'Abbas, wittier than Abu Nuwas, more generous than Hatim, 3 4 braver than 'Amr, more eloquent than Sahban Wa'il, more 5 artful than Qasir, a greater poet than Jarir, sweeter than the
water of the Euphrates, and more delightful than health. 6 But, when the cargo became light, the sails collapsed, and the bag was empty, the company hastened to the door, when they
perceived the fact. 7 entered their hearts and they called Disgust
1
me
Burseh,
Ibn 'Abbas:
Abd
Allah ibn 'Abbas, cousin to
Muhammad, was born
at
He was the ablest of the expounders 619, three years before the Hijra. of the Qur'an in his time and the most liberal of the early Muslims. He was remarkable for his great knowledge, acuteness and prodigious memory. It was due
Mecca A.D.
to his efforts that the study of pre-Islamic poetry became of such importance to the Muslims, for he frequently quoted verses of the ancient poets in proof of the exWhenplanations he gave of difficult passages of the Qur'an. He used to say ever you meet with a difficulty in the Qur'an look for its solution in the poems of
'
:
the Arabs, for these are the registers of the Arab nation.' He was for some time governor of Basra under the Khalifa 'Ali died at al-Taif A.H. 68. Ibn Khallikan,
;
i,
89.
2
More generous than Hatim
Of the
tribe of
Tai.
The prototype
of
generosity throughout the Muslim world. 3 'Amr: 'Amr ibn Ma'df Karaba.
This chieftain and warrior was a contemporary of Muhammad and the first four Khalifas. For his adventures, see Caussin de Percival, Essaie stir I'histoire des Arabcs. 4 More eloquent than Sahban Wd'il : A brilliant preacher of the early
days of Islam, whose name became proverbial for eloquence like that of Qoss, Bishop of Najran. He was born in the time of Muhammad and died in the year A.H. 54 (A.D. 673). One of the earliest extant specimens of an Arab Khutba, or sermon in rhymed prose, is by Sahban. This sermon contains the usual incentives to morality founded on the shortness of life and the certainty of future reward and punishment. Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 450. See De Sacy, Hariri, i, 49 and
Chenery's Translation of Hariri, p. 309. 5 More artful than Qasir : Qasir was a freedman of Judhima al-Abrash, the king of 'Iraq. His master having been treacherously murdered by Queen Zebba (Zenobie) he determined to revenge his death on her. He cut off his nose with his own hand and complained to the Queen that 'Amr, the murdered Jadhima's nephew, had done this, because he suspected him of complicity in the betrayal of his master. So plausible a story found ready acceptance with the queen. In this way he gained her confidence and was frequently sent to 'Iraq to bring her some of the rare products of that province until, eventually, he contrived to introduce in boxes, supposed
to contain goods, a number of armed men who fell This act of self-mutilation gave rise to the proverb
off his nose.
6
'
upon the queen and slew her. For some purpose Qasfr cut
'
Hariri,
i,
327.
_More
-*
&cj>
dliUi^ ^/*
s-~M More
delightful than health

life.
Cf the proverb J-*

.
delightful than
:
Meidani,
i,
388.
Bulak
edition.
die Disgust
Literally, choking.
Burseh
Barren spot :
White places
in
sand where nothing grows,
158
THE MAQAMAT OF
BAD!'
and they arose with
alacrity to flee, like shooting sparks of fire. Vexation took possession of them and they slipped away drop by 1 drop, and they dispersed right and left and I remained on the
floor.
9
They bequeathed
to
me
regret, and,
because of them,
overwhelmed me. I was not worth a piece of dung, alone, solitary, like the owl branded with ill-luck, sitting down and standing up as if the state in which I had been had never
tears
been.
And
was
me monk
4
I repented when repentance availed me not. Therefore comeliness changed to wildness. A deafness came over my worse than that of Rahta the crier. As though I were a
of the people of al-Hira.
The property had gone and
only the she-goat's I found myself tail. my house alone, with my liver crushed, because of the fall of my fortune. My tears had furrowed my
derision
left,
was
and there was

in
in
my hand
cheek.
dwelt in an abode whose ruins had been obliterated
and whose traces the torrents had effaced, and where the wild beasts roamed and strayed morning and evening. My position had gone, my substance was exhausted and my comfort 5 was diminished. My boon-companions and my old friends deserted me. No head was raised for me and I was not reckoned among More contemptible than Baz'i the pottage-maker the people. and Warzin the rope-maker. I wandered to and fro on the 6 I walked barefoot, river bank as if I were a keeper of ducks.
also an alighting-place of the Jinn.
The commentator
thinks
it
means a
lizard of
the species called gecko. leprous hue as

*f>$
j^fbu-Sj (Malay), an imitation of the animal's cry, of a

indicates, but in that case
'
its
name (dy)
it
would have
to
be vocalized
have, therefore, rendered
it
by
barren spot
'
as being
more
consistent with
'Abu'l-'Anbas' circumstances.
1
Drop by drop : That is, quickly as drops The floor : Literally, the bricks,
yi$\
clay.
fall
away from the
cloud.
^f\
baked
loan word from Aramaic.
^J^c The people

The
of al-Hira
The term
applied to the Christian Arabs of
Hira, religion and culture of the 'Ibbad were conveyed by various channels See Nicholson, Lit. History of the to the utmost recesses of the peninsula. Arabs, pp. 38-9. 4 The she-goat's tail : Figurative for something msan and worthless.
*
i^js^y*
'
My
:
comfort
Gives a better sense than ^5=*^
'
my
nightly resting-
place
6
!o}
according to the vocalization of the text.
Ducks
ut*?.
scouring the deserts.
1
159
My
eye was inflamed and
my
life
was
in
pledge, as though I were a madman escaped from a cell, or an ass going around the enclosure.
was sadder than al-Khansa 2 over Sakhr, and Hind 3 over 'Amr. My reason was lost, my health was good for nothing, my purse was empty and my slave had fled. My evil dreams I bemultiplied and in evil suggestions I exceeded the limit. came like the Jinn that inhabit houses and the evil spirit of the I appeared in the night and hid in the day. I was dwelling. unluckier than the grave-digger, more burdensome than the rent of the house, more stupid that Titi the bleacher, and more foolish than Baud the oil-presser. Scantiness had become my ally and And I was outside the pale abjectness had encompassed me. of the community and hated for the sake of God. I had been Abu'l-'Anbas 4 and I became Abu 'Afllas 5 and Abu Faq'as. I had lost the road, and argument was against me. I found no helper and I saw destitution before me. Now, when I perceived the affair had become difficult and that Time had the rabies, I solicited money and behold it was with the two 6 and at the parting of the two seas, 7 and more remote vultures
I
~>j\
Socnring
(literally,
chasing) the deserts.
Al-Khansa: The most

on her brother Sakhr.
elegies
celebrated Arab poetess, especially noted for her She was a contemporary of Muhammad by whom
she was received with great respect and to whom she recited her poetry. Hariri, ii, 516 and Chenery's translation, pp. 387-91. 3 Hind : The mother of 'Amr son of Mundhir III, King of al-Hira, commonly
called
ibn
'Amr son of Hind after his mother who was the aunt of Imr al-Qais. 'Amr Hind was slain by the poet 'Amr ibn Kulthum, author of one of the Mu'allaqat,
by Hind.
See Aghdni,
ix,
for an insult offered to his mother, Layla,

*
175.
(jÎîiT^
Abu'l-'Anbas:
Literally, father of the frowning lion.
There
is
play here on the real and the nicknames. fanciful names are introduced.
5
See Hariri,
i,
380,
where other such
I have not been able to trace, but (j~&\ f\ father of $\ Abu 'Aflas would give a suitable meaning. bankruptcy, a bankrupt,
(jJJAr
The two vultures

(2)
That
is
(1)
flTj^
The
falling
vulture.
jflj*
The
flying vulture.
The former is a bright star in the constellation Lyra, and the latter consists of three well-known stars in the constellation Aquila.
7
^ÎJT ]&&* The parting of the two

Cf. Qur'an, xxv, 55,
seas
That
is
of the salt water
and the
fresh.
160
THE MAQAMAT OF
BADI'
than the two pointers. So I started wandering, as though I was 1 the Messiah, and I journeyed over Khurasan, its deserted and
populous parts, to Kirman, Sijistan, Jilan, Tabaristan, 'Oman, to Sind and India, to Nubia and Egypt, Yemen, Hijaz, Mecca and
roamed over deserts and wastes, seeking warmth at the fire and taking shelter with the ass, till both my cheeks 8 were blackened. And thus I collected of anecdotes and fables, witticisms and traditions, poems of the humourists, the diversions
al-Ta'if.
I
of the frivolous, the fabrications of the lovesick, the saws of the 3 pseudo-philosophers, the tricks of the conjurors, the artifices of
the artful, the rare sayings of convivial companions, the fraud of the astrologers, the finesse of quacks, the deception of the 4 effeminate, the guile of the cheats, the devilry of the fiends,
such that the legal decisions of al-Sh'abi,
the
memory
of al-
and the learning of al-Kalbi would have fallen short of. And I solicited gifts and asked for presents. I had recourse I to influence and I begged. eulogized and satirized, till I much property, got possession of Indian swords and acquired Yemen blades, fine coats of mail of Sabur 8 and leathern shields
Dabbi
word
The
Messiah
This
is
a play on
the
~^~.+!)\
one
who
travels
much, as a devotee or otherwise, and the well-known name the Messiah, the
Anointed.
2
Û-~ \ Fables
_
j
Literally, night-talkings.
-,
_
:
_,
^) jyt&+}^ The conjurors

it is
From
$>jjx& legerdemain.
According to the
Cf. Gaubari,
lexicons
not a word of the language of the people of the desert.

(de Goeje.
Endeckte Geheimnisse
4
Z.D.M.G.)
xx, 500.
Cheats
Plural of
yjf or *>^
The decisions of al-Sh'abi : Abu 'Amr (A.H. 19-104) was an eminent al-Zuhri (A.H. 51-124) says jurisconsult distinguished for his profound learning. that the really learned men were four in number, (l) Ibn al-Musaiyab at Madina,
6
(2)
al-Sh'abi at Kufa,
6
Freytag,
See (3) Hasan al-Basri at Basra, and (4) Makhul in Syria. Arab Proverbs, i, 413 and Ibn Khallikan De Slane's translation, ii, 4. Muhammad ibn al-Mufaddal (ob. A.H. 308) a The memory of Al-Dabbi
:
native of Baghdad, was one of the most eminent doctors of the Shafi'ite sect and an author of a number of works. Ibn Kballikan, ii, 610.
7
The learning
of al-Kalbi
Hisham ibn
al-Kalbi was remarkable for his
extensive knowledge of the science of genealogy, the battle days and the history of the Arabs on which subjects he wrote upwards of a hundred and fifty works. He
died A.H. 204 or 206.

8
<J$j>
Ibn Khallikan,
:
iii,
608.
LJ\ Of Sdbur
Relating to King Shahpur, or to the town or province
of that
name
situated twenty-five parasangs
from Shiraz,
of Tibet, spears of al-Khatt fleet horses with short coats,
silk
1
161
and javelins of Barbary, excellent 2 Armenian mules, and Mirris asses,
brocades of
kinds of curios,
opulence.
Various and woollen stuffs 3 of Sus. 4 and gifts, with prosperity and presents, offerings,
I
Rum
Baghdad and the people got news had been prospered in my travels, they were delighted at my arrival, and they all came to me complaining of what loneliness they had experienced on account of my being away, and what had happened to them because of my absence, and they complained of the intensity of longing and the pain of And each of them began to apologize for what he had yearning. done and to manifest regret for what he had committed. So I made them think I had forgiven them and I did not exhibit to them a sign of vindictiveness because of their conduct. Therefore they were pleased, their limbs ceased trembling, and they went away in that belief. The next day they returned to me and I detained them with me. Then I dispatched my agent to the market and he did not omit a thing of all that I had charged him to buy. We had a skilful female cook, and I got prepared twenty sorts of pungent We fried-meats, divers kinds of omelets, and rare preparations. ate and then adjourned to the drinking-saloon, and there were 5 presented before them bright and clear old wine and fair and
arrived at
I
Now, when
of
me, and of how
expert singers.
1 Al-Khatt: A place on the coast of 'Oman to which lances and spears were exported and where they were straightened and then sold to the Arabs.
tr*/*
^H*/*
Mirrisah:
The name
of a village, or province, in
iv,
Egypt
famous
3
for the excellence of its mules.
Yaqut,
515.
y**
Khaz,
woollen
J>
stuff.
A cloth woven
silk.
of wool and silk'said to be arabi-
cized from the Persian

*
Qaz, raw
fj* JlJ^
Sus
district in
Ahwaz.
There are several places of
this
name
given in
5
Yaqut,
iii,
189.
:
<sJl>jJU.
Old wine
Dozy
calls
it
Vin Grec.
It
may
therefore be arabi-
cized from the Greek groats of wheat.
of wheat, a mucilaginous drink ôz/Spo?, groats
made
..
of
-
The
expressions
&>jaa.
g---g-c/
&Lj^&.
old wheat and
old dates are suggestive as referring, by an extension of meaning, to the kind of wheat and date suitable for making wine. See Gawaliki, Almu'arrab, p. 55.
21
162
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

They betook themselves
to their task
there passed for us the pleasantest day. according to their number, fifteen brinjal
and we drank, and Now I had prepared,

baskets, each basket
had hired for each one of them a porter, each porter at two dirhems, and he had informed the porters of the houses of the company, and charged them to
slave
with four handles. 1
And my
present themselves the next evening. slave, who was a crafty one, to give the
2
commanded my company to drink by the

I
And
pint and by the quart, and to serve them while I fumigated before them with nad, aloes and ambergris. Before an hour had
3
passed they
slaves
were
all
dead drunk and unconscious.
Their
came
I
to us at sunset each one with a horse, or an ass, or a

told
mule, but
them
their masters
were passing the night with

I
me and
and
I
so they went away.
Then
sent for Bilal, the barber,
brought him in. I placed food before him and he ate. I gave him wine of Qutrubbul and he drank till he became Then I placed in his mouth two yellow 4 dinars intoxicated. and said, Do your duty to the company.' And in a single hour he shaved off fifteen beards, and the company became as smooth*
faced as the denizens of Paradise.

I
placed the beard of each one of them pursed in his clothes and with it a letter wherein was written, Whoever harbours
*
and forsakes faithfulness, this is his and reward,' and I put it in his pocket. Then we recompense The porters came the next evening tied them up in the baskets. and carried them off with a losing return and they reached their
perfidy against his friend
homes.
But,
when they
grief.
arose in the morning, they perceived in
themselves great
Not a merchant from among them went
forth to his shop, not a clerk to his office, nor could he appear And every day a large crowd of their before his brethren.
Handles
f
Literally, ears.
j3\ I
1 Ib.
^+$\
By
That
the pint
and by
the quart
A mann
equals 2 Ibs. troy and
a ratl
*
*
avoirdupois.
:
*A They
is,
the company.
i+e\ Yellow
Literally, red.
As
the denizens of Paradise:
An
allusion to the tradition
which says the people of Paradise are and beardless (Lane, p, 407),
u^
having no hair upon their bodies
163
dependents, women, boys and men, came and reviled and reproached me, and invoked upon me divine judgement, but I
remained silent and did not return them an answer, nor did I heed their words. The news of my treatment of them spread over the City of Peace, and the matter ceased not to magnify
until
it
wise.
1 reached the Wazir al-Qasim ibn 'Ubeid- Allah, in this He wanted his clerk but failed to find him and it was
'
:
reported
*
'
He
is
at
home and unable

' :
to
go
out.'
He
asked
Why ? And it was said Because of what Abu'l-'Anbas has done to him for he had the misfortune of being associated with and tried by him.' He laughed heartily and said By Heavens 2 he was perfectly right to do what he did, let him alone, for he
' :
understands them
honour, had led to
me
fifty
Then he sent me a splendid robe of a horse with a carriage and forwarded to thousand dirhems as a mark of his admiration of my
best.'
me
I stayed at home for two months, spending, eating and drinking and then I appeared in public, after concealment, and some of them reconciled themselves to me because of what the
action.
Wazir had done; and another swore by the triple divorce 3 and by the emancipation of his slaves, male and female, that he would never again speak directly to me. By God, whose dignity is great, and whose evidence is exalted I did not make much of nor did I care, nor was the lobe of my ear scratched, nor that, did my stomach ache. Neither did it injure me, rather did it delight me, and it was a need in Jacob's soul which he
!
U be id- Allah : If we accept Yaqut's statement (Geographical Dictionary, iii, 443 Dictionary of Learned Men, vi, 401) that Abu'l-'Anbas died A.H. 275, this is chronologically impossible. Al-Qasim ibn 'Ubeid- Allah ibn Suleiman ibn Wahb was appointed Wazfr in A.H. 288, so that
1
Al-Qasim ibn
'
the
Wazfr referred
to
in
the
narrative
'Ubeid-Allah ibn Suleiman ibn
Wahb
must have been al-Qasim's father the Wazfr of Mu'tamid and Mu'tadid.
It was this al-Qasim 'Ubeid-Allah who poisoned Ibn al-Rumf (see note on p. 116), because he dreaded the poet's satirical attacks. Here again there is some confusion
of dates.
Ibn Khallikan, ii, 299, gives the date of Ibn al-Rumi"s death as 284 or 276, whereas al-Qasim ibn 'Ubeid-Allah was not appointed Wazfr until his father's death which took place in A.H. 288. See al-Fakhrf (edited by Ahlwardt), pp. 301-3.
2
Jii
a*
\&\ Uj
hit
LC^ jj He was
in
perfectly right
did.
to
do what he did
Literally,
3
he
and did not miss
what he
'
lA&ST jft&V? By the
triple divorce
Ye may divorce your wives
twice, but,
until
if
the husband divorce her a third time she shall not be lawful for
him again
she marry another husband.'
Qur'an,
ii,
229, 230.
21*
164
l
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
And verily I have only called attention to this that be on their guard against the sons of the time, and may give up depending on sordid and base brethren, and upon
performed.'
people
copyist, the calumniator, the great deceiver who repudiates the claims of the cultured, makes light of them and borrows their books and does not return them. And we implore
so-and-so, the
God's aid and we rely upon Him.

XLIII.
THE MAQAMA OF THE DINAR

related to us
'IsA IBN
HiSHAM
to
and said
happened
to
have
made
in
vow
Baghdad. I Path al-Iskanderi. So I went to him to bestow it upon him, and I found him amongst some companions who had gathered in a circle around him. So I said O sons of Sasan, which of knows his stock-in-trade best and is the sharpest in his you
' :
give a dinar in charity to the greatest mendicant enquired for him and I was directed to Abu'l
art so that I
I give him this dinar ?' Said al-Iskanderi Another of the company said am.' but I am.' Then they Nay, Let each of you revile his wrangled and disputed till I said
may
'
'
'
then whoever gains the mastery carries off the booty, and whoever overcomes takes the spoil.' 2 So al-Iskanderi said
fellow,
'
O cold
1
of
the
old
woman
3
!
sultriness of
Tammuz
4
!
was a need in Jacob's soul which he performed Qur'an, xii, 67, 68. Jacob's sons went the second time down into Egypt taking Benjamin with them, their father commanded them not to enter all at the same gate but at This is explained to mean that, because of their personal beauty and the several. favour shown them by the governor, if they all entered by the snme gate, they
It
:
When
might be smitten with the evil eye. This they did and, though they could not have changed God's will concerning them, still it satisfied a desire in Jacob's mind. Baidawi's commentary (Fleischer), i, 466. Abu'l-'Anbas died eighty-three years before Hamadhani was born. It is evident, therefore, that this maqama is founded on a popular story, handed down from the former, or extracted from one of the numerous works of a humourous character he is said to have composed. This lengthy maqama contains no poetry. the themes are identical. Cf. Shakespeare, Titnon of Athens
;
^> IJc
i,
if*
Whoever overcomes takes the

spoil.
:
spoil
Freytag,
Arab Proverbs,
677, Cf.
3
Hebrew ]3
Cold of the old
woman
That
is,
the four last days of February and three

latter part
first
4
days of March, thus called because they are the
Tammuz
The
(j^z) Syrian month sacred in ancient times to the god of that name,
of winter.
corresponding to July.
This god
is
mentioned
in Ezekiel, viii, 14.
filth
165
!
of the goglet
"
l
!
non-current dirhem
!
conversation of
!
unfortunate year O unlucky star the singers oppres3 Hubein 4 O sick headache O sion of the nightmare! O ophthalmia O morning of separation O estrangement of
2
!
O
!
Ummu
O scene of the martyrdom of alO mark of infamy O ill-starred burden of debt Husain O banished for his meanness O porridge of garlic messenger O desert of the Zaqqum O refuser to lend the things of the O rebellious slave O house O year of the bubonic plague ~ \^. damnatory clause O oft-repeated speech O worse than O worm of the privy O furred (till) in various constructions garment in the summer-quarters O coughing of the host, when the bread is broken O belch of the intoxicated O fetid breath of the hawks O prop 7 of the pot O O peg of the tent 8 O avarice of the vanquished at non-recurring Wednesday dice O grumbling of the tongue O lotlum spadonis O eating of the blind O intercession of the naked O Saturday of the children O letter of condolence n O pool of impurities O
friends
! !
O O
!
hour of death
10
j^=*^ Al-Kiiz : A water-bottle, a goglet, arabicized from the Persian ftu-^. Conversation of the singers : Obviously it is the singing of the singers and not their conversation that people want to hear.
1
<j*j>\sA\
IL.
Oppression of the nightmare

is
Some
think this
I
is
not an
Arabic word and that the proper word

4 5
difficulty, 05ju* (Lane, p. 2588). however, in evolving this meaning from the root ^j^^s he pressed or squeezed.
see
no
A species Uminu Hubein A certain kind Zaqqum

:
bitter,
found
in
Tehameh,
of stinking lizard. of tree having small leaves, evil-smelling and also the name of the infernal tree whose fruit is the food
of the people of hell. See Baidawf, ii, 172. 6 O peg of the tent : Cf. more dishevelled than a tent peg. Proverbs, i, 706.
O-C/jC J
7
Freytag,
Arab
&i^j^ Prop
^jjj
Literally, the
handle of the upper millstone.

:
jUu.fi
month,
to
which
The unlucky Wednesdays of the Non-recurring Wednesday this is an allusion, are those which have the number four, e.g.
month
the fourteenth or twenty-fourth, or the Mas'udi, Les Prairies D'or, iii, 422. Freytag,
;
the fourth or the fourteenth of the
fourth before the end of the month.
Arab Proverbs,
of the
9
i,
276 and Meidani (Bulak edition),
i,
139,
when it comes at
the end
month.
to ask for himself,
needs
viii,
intercession of the naked : That is, one who is so utterly destitute that he not for others. For the opposite sentiment, see AgJidni,
:
182.
O Saturday of the children school slang, Black Monday.

10
11
Succeeding the holiday on Friday,

it is
Cf. English
letter of
condolence
Because
supposed
to
be a very
difficult
thing
166
stinginess of the man of 2 of Rayy By Heavens
!
!
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

Ahwaz
if
1
!
garrulousness of the
4
man
thou wert to place one of thy feet on
Anvand 3 and
the other on
Demawand,
'
!
take in thy hand the
rainbow and card the clouds in the garments of the angels, thou wouldst only be a wool-carder
Then
Jews O dog
!
!
said the other
'
trainer of
!
monkeys
!
felt of
the
!
fetid breath of the lions

!
non-entity in
existence
on the carpet O pumpkin with 5 O less than nothing O fumes of naphtha 6 O stench pulse O decline of power O halo of death O viler of the armpit than one to whom clings the disgrace of divorce and refuses
in strife
!
O monkey
to return the marriage dowry mud of the road water 7 taken in the state of fasting shaker of the bone 8 tartar of the teeth filth of the accelerator of digestion
!
.
O tougher than the rope of cocoanut fibre less than a O more traitorous than a tear O more rebellious than fals a needle O direction of the boot O landing-place of the palms O the word would that O leaking of the house O such and
ears
!
!
O O
'
to write
if
the deceased
is
not a near relative, or because
it
is
a painful thing for

notorious for
i,
one who
1
is
bereaved to read.
Stinginess of the
man
of Ahwaz
The people
of
Ahwaz were
Yaqut,
their avarice, stupidity

*
and the vileness of
their inclinations.
411, 12.
Garrulousness of the man of Rayy : The word J^ci also means meddlesomeness, or immoderation of any kind, but I have not been able to find any evidence that the people of Rayy were notorious for any of these things. 3 Arwand: or Elwand, the Orontes of the ancients, at the foot of which lies
the town of
4
Hamadhan.
mountain north of Teheran.
!
Demawand: A
His
feet
would thus be more
than two hundred miles apart 5 Pulse : Arabicized from the Persian jSiU Sanskrit masha, peas.
Û
O fumes
of naphtha
! :
Apparently a genuine Arabic word from
L*j.
It
(water) welled or issued forth,
and k3 what oozes or exudes from a mountain as

art.
though it were sweat from the sides of the rock. (Lane's Lexicon Cf. Greek va,(p9a, which is probably a loan word from Arabic.
7
IJ
p. 2759)
J^jJiT
Jc
In a state of fasting
Anything eaten or drunk

<J?.j^
in a state of fast-
ing.
8
The
text is
wrongly vocalized, for

:
read <J?.^V
Shaker of the bone
That
is,
ague.
part
of a
9
i.e.
fals: (Jil about half a farthing.

r
small
copper coin, the forty-eighth

loan word from Aramaic.
dirhem,
such
l
!
167
By Heavens wert thou to place thy scant on the stars and extend thy feet to the limits of the world, take Sirius as a boot and the Pleiades as a raiment, and wert to make the sky a loom, weave the air into a coat, make its woof with the Flying Vulture and weave it with the revolving sphere, thou wouldest 2 be but a weaver Said 'Isa ibn Hisham By Heavens I did not know which of the two I should prefer, for nought proceeded from them save So marvellous language, wonderful aptness, and intense enmity. I left the dinar before them undivided and I know not what
!
'
'
Time
did with them.'
XLIV.
*IsA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF POETRY

:
HISHAM related to us and said I was in the region and there joined me a party of travelling companions. Now one day we were assembled together in a circle and we began to discuss poetry and to quote verses difficult in meaning, and to propound enigmas. And there stood near us a youth who listened, as though he understood, and remained silent as if he regretted doing so. So I said O young man, thy standing
of Syria
* :
up annoys
*
us,
therefore
either
sit
replied
It is
impossible for
me
to sit
and
return, so keep your places.'
or go away.' He down, but I will go away We said We will do that
down
'
with pleasure.' Then he withdrew his presence, but he delayed not to return immediately. And he asked Where are ye with those verses and what have ye done with the puzzles ? Ask me
' :
And we asked him not a verse but he concerning them.' nor a meaning but he correctly explained it. Now, answered, when we had emptied the quivers, and made an end of the stores, he turned upon us interrogatively, renewed the discussion
1
O such and A
such
Or so and so
'
tion.
Cf. Hariri, p. 235, line 3.,
', referring to something too gross to menand see Wright's Grammar, i, 268.
weaver
The
vocation of the weaver appears to have been regarded

Cf. Letters, p. 273,
'
by the Arabs as a degrading one.

the heads of the weavers
',
Verily shaving
is
learnt
on
Hariri, p. 31, on mutual abuse also see Horace, Satires, Book This maqama contains no poetry.
;
also Yaqut, Geographical Dictionary, iv, 1036. Cf. the subject of the dinar, and p. 628 for an example of similar
I,
Satire 7.
168
* :
THE MAQAMAT OF
BADI*
and said Tell me what verse is that, half of which elevates and half repels ? And what verse is it the whole of which slaps ? And what verse is that half of which is angry and half jests ? And what verse is it the whole of which is mangy ? And what
verse
is
that the last foot of
whose
first
?
half fights,
foot of
whose second
is
half conciliates
What
verse
is
and the final that whose
What verse is that which is unseemly in scorpions ? 1 What original intent but can be made proper by punctuation. 2 verse is that whose tears cease not to flow ? What verse is
whole
that that
is
all of which runs away except its foot ? What verse is whose subject is not known ? 3 What verse is that which its fellow,
is
longer than
as though
it
were not of
that half of
its
kind
What
soil
verse
that which cannot be dissolved,

?
cannot be dug
half clothes
?
?
and
counted
that whose number cannot be which shows thee what pleases ? that What verse is that which the world cannot contain ? What verse is that half of which laughs and half feels pain ? What verse is that if its branch be shaken, its beauty departs ? What
What verse What verse is

is
is
and whose which is perfect
What
verse
verse
is
that
if
we
that
collect
if
it
together, its
it
meaning
is
it
What
astray verse
verse
?
is
we
set
at
liberty,
we
is
cause
gone ? to go
What
verse
is
that
whose honey
is that whose praise is censure ? is that whose expression is sweet, but underlying it there is grief ? What verse is that whose dissolving is binding up, and the whole of it is paid down ? What verse is that half of which is What verse is that half of prolongation and half rejection ? which is elevation and its elevation is a slap ? What verse is that whose expulsion is eulogy, but whose converse is censure ?
poison ? What verse
What
What
verse
is
?
5
that which, in a visitation,
is
a prayer for the
time of peril
they please
?
What
verse
is
that which the sheep eat
when
Proper by punctuation
Cf.
Maqama
:
.
xxviii.
8
8
4
Whose tears cease not to flow Cf Maqama xxviii. Whose subject is not known Cf. Maqama xxviii. Of its kind Cf Maqama xxviii.
: :
.
^J^JT1^ A prayer for the

Van Den Berg,
time of peril
of the
In cases of extreme danger in lieu

is sufficient.
of the rak'as or genuflexions, the
bowing
head
See Minhdj al-
Tdlibin, par
181-5,
What
the teeth
?
169
it
verse
is
that which
when
hits the head,
smashes
What verse is that which extends till it reaches six ? What verse is it that stood up, then fell down and pounds went to sleep ? What verse is it that wished to decrease, but What verse is it that was about to go and then increased ? returned ? What verse destroyed 'Iraq ? What verse conquered Basra ? What verse is it that melted under torture ? What verse grew old before adolescence ? What verse is it What verse is it that that returned before the appointed time ? and then passed away ? What verse is it that was alighted What verse is that, tightly twisted and then became strong ? which was adjusted till it became rectified ? What verse is that which is swifter than Tirimmah's arrow ? a What verse is it What verse is it that contracted, that issued from their eyes ? and then sufficed to fill the world ? What verse is it that returned and excited pain ? What verse is that half of which is gold and the remainder tail ? What verse is that some of which is darkness and some of which is wine ? What verse is
1
that
whose subject
is
is
converted into the object, and whose

to be understood
inviolate
?
?
understanding the whole of which

string of camels ? What verse is that
made
is
What
verse
is
that
What two
verses are like a
verse verse
is is
verse is it that descends from above ? whose prognostication is ominous ? What that whose end flees but whose beginning seeks ? What that whose beginning gives, but whose end plunders ?
'
What
Thus did we hear something which So we asked for the explanation, but he denied it to us, and, therefore, we considered them to be words finely hewn, but with no ideas underlying them. Then
Said 'Isa ibn
Hisham
'
we had
never heard before.
Choose five of these problems so that I may explain and do ye exert yourselves a few days in finding out the them, rest. It may be that your vessel will sweat, and your minds be Then, if ye fail, let us have a fresh reunion in order generous.
he said
:
that
I may explain the remainder.' And among those we selected was
the
verse which
is
Destroyed Iraq, Text,
p. 224, line 3
for
^L
read
have not been able
Tirimmah's arrow
Tirimmah ibn Hakim ibn al-Hakam, the name of a

(ob. 117 A. H.)
I
famous poet, a contemporary of Dhu al-Rumma
to find anything to connect the poet with archery.
22
170
THE MAQAMAT OF
in original intent but
BADI'
unseemly
tion.
So we asked him concerning
can be made proper by punctuaIt is the it, and he said

' :
verse of
Abu Nuwas And we passed

:
the
night,
God
regarding us as the
vilest
company,
' :
trailing
the skirts of
wickedness, and
no
boast.'
We
asked
And
of
it
the verse whose dissolving

is
is
:
and the whole

All our
paid
down
'
He
replied
binding up It is the
'
verse of Al 'Aasha,
And
dirhems are good, 3 so delay us not by testing them.' Our dirhems the paraphrase of that would be to say
' :
Now are good, all of them, so delay us not by testing them.' asked the metre is not destroyed by this paraphrase. * And the verse half of which is prolongation and half rejection ?
We
'
He
'
replied
It is
the verse of al-Bakri, 3
4 genuine dinar came to thee short of sixty fals, From the most generous of men, except as regards origin,
development and personality.
We
please "
I
?
asked
'
' :
And
' :
He
said
the verse that the sheep eat It is the verse of the poet
:
when they
!
May
We
"
separation be cut off May separation be severed 6 separation to be a great severer of friends." perceive And the verse which extends till it reaches six asked
!
' '
'
pounds
He
7
replied
It is
the verse of Ibn al-Rumi,

gift
When
he gives,
he makes not his

soul,
an obligation and
'
he says to
my
soul respite me."
And we passed
the night.
:
Metre tawil.
Metre, mutaqdrib.
verses, see
All our dirhems are good
143, 146,
*
*
Al-Bahri : For further specimens of this early poet's and 147. A genuine dinar came to thee : Metre, mujtath.
Aghdni,
iv,
May
3*
separation be cut off
Metre, tawil,
'
'
i^\
Separation
\*>
The point here is the double meaning of

I
^y
separation
and the plural of

tat these stones.
7
a date stone.
am
unable to say, however, whether sheep
When
he gives
'
Metre tawil.
\5\
When
he gives- The play
is
on
which means, he bestowed ', and a certain weight which is generally considered ip* as equal to two pounds troy weight. The repetition of this word four times works
out exactly six ratls or pounds,
:
171
Then we knew that the problems So we tried hard and we found were out some, and obtained information about the others. Then I recited after him, while he was running quickly away Men differ in excellence 2 and some resemble others, But for him I should have been like Radwa 3 in length,
not destitute of beauty.
1
: *
depth and breadth.'
Not
destitute of beauty.
From JLU
applied to a
woman
who
3
is
Men
unadorned with a necklace, the emblem of female dignity. differ in excellence : Metre, mujtath.
C- -
iJra Like
Radwa
There are several mountains of
this
name
in Arabia.
The one alluded to is probably that near Madfna which the Arabs quote as synonymous with something weighty and responsible. Cf. the line by Mu'arri cited by And the weight of Radwa is less than that which the Commentator, Text, p. 226
'
:
bear'.
SOLUTIONS BY THE COMMENTATOR

The verse half of which
' 1
And And
if
I
I
elevates and half repels : have one side of my life for God which I do not waste, have another side for discussion and depravity.'
is
:
angry and half jests 'Amr ibn Kulthum's lines were wooden blades in the hands of players.' The verse whose beginning gives, but whose end plunders, 'Amr ibn Kulthum's lines We entertained you and we hastened your entertainment,
The verse half of which
'As
our swords, ours and
theirs,
little
before the morning, with the grinding of the millstone of war.'

be dissolved
' :
The verse that cannot

heavens hath built for
And
verily
He who
hath raised the

lofty.'
us a house whose supports are most substantial and
For an
Ixxix, 28.
illustration of the
meaning
of
he raised, or elevated, see Qur'an,

it to
The
'
verse, if
we
set it at liberty,
we cause
go astray
not in sorrow upon a worn-out camel, Conducted by an experimenting guide followed by my heart The verse that stood, then fell down and went to sleep
'
Am I
O
'
?
:
I will
ye sleepers awake from your sleep ask you, does love kill a man ?
!
'
The
verse,
1
when its branch is shaken, its beauty departs Thou hast such a form, that were it not for the hawks of thine
:
eyes, the
grey pigeon would surely sing upon

'
it.'
The verse whose beginning seeks, but whose end flees With ignorance like the ignorance of the sword, when And clemency like the clemency of the sword, when it
:
it is
drawn.
is
sheathed.'
The verse that was about

'
And
But
I I
to go away and then returned am not one of those happy in enjoyment among am a mine of glittering gold,'
:
them,
172
THE MAQAMAT OF
XLV.
BADI'
THE MAQAMA OF KINGS

:
HISHAM related to us and said I was on my way back from Yemen and making for my native land. I was journeying in a night when nothing auspicious save the hyena passed from
'Isi IBN
and nothing inauspicious from the right save a lion. the blade of the morning was drawn, and the brow of the orb of day came forth, there appeared before me on the bare plain a rider fully armed. There seized me because of him, what seizes an unarmed person from the like of him when he advances. But I put on a bold front, stood and said Perish mother Stand Before thou canst attain thy object thou thy wilt have to endure wounds of steel, strip the tragacanth of its 9 I am for peace if leaves, and face the pride of an Azdite. thou wilt, but who art thou ? He answered Peace hast thou found and a travelling companion according to thy desire.' I then said Thou hast answered well.' So we travelled on and, when we had become mutually intimate and exchanged confidences, the story revealed Abu'l Path al-Iskanderi, and he asked me concerning the most generous of kings I had met. So I mentioned the kings of Syria and the generous ones among them, the kings of 'Iraq and the noble ones of them, and the Amirs of
the
left,
Now when
'
The. verse
'
whose praise
verily
is
blame
.*
And
my
tribe,
Are worthless
in
numerous though they be, war, though it be an insignificant

filled the
'
affair.
Freytag,
Hamasa,
p. 7.
The verse that contracted and then
world
:
'
'
It is
not a hard thing
for God to collect the world in a single individual The verse that was adjusted till it was rectified
'
Say not one piece of good news, but two The dignity of the host and the feast of Mehrajan.
jj>
0l^$4JT
The
feast (day) of
Mehraj&n.
The autumnal
equinox, the
name
of a festival celebrated in Persia in the

this
month
word
see Mas'udi
iii,
404.
These
lines
of September. For the origin of were recited in praise of al-Hasan ibn
Zaid the ruler of Tabaristan, died A.H. 270.
jj
(Ibn al-Athir,
;
vii,
286.)
The
text is
wrongly vocalized, for

This
i
Sj
Whiteness or blaze
read 5y
dignity or puissance.
maqama
ii,
is
identical in
theme with and

of a
largely a reproduction of
tribe to
No.
xxviii.
Cf. Hariri,
453-70.
:
An
Azdite
Azd the name
famous Arab
which the
typical
Arab
heroes, Shanfara and Taabbata Sharrn, and the accomplished scholar and poet Ibn
Duraid belonged. f / am for peace
Literally, I
am
peace.
173
l the enumeration to the kings of the provinces, and I extended I narrated what I had seen and I recounted to him the Egypt.
benevolent acts of the kings of Yemen and the favours of the of all by mentioning kings of Ta'if, and I concluded the praise
Saif al-Daula.
'
Then he
recited saying
2
nocturnal traveller
by the
stars of the night, praising
them,
Had he
them
And,
but seen the sun, he would not have considered

to be of
any importance,
I
praiser of the streams,
grant thou hast not visited
He who
it,
the encircling ocean, but dost thou know nothing of it ? has seen the pearl will not compare a stone with
And whoever
man.
Visit
has seen a Khalaf will not think of any other

wilt visit a king
him and thou

8
who
has been given

wilt
four,
That no one has acquired, so observe him and thou

see,
His days are bright and his countenance is as the moon, His determination is like Fate and his gifts like rain ;
ceased not to praise people whom I thought To be the purity of the age but, compared with him, they
I
were
turbid.'
Said 'Isa ibn

sionate
Hisham
So
asked
' :
Who
is
this
compas-
and generous king?'
He
replied:
'How
can that be which
the imagination cannot grasp, and how can I express that which reason will not accept ? Now, when was there a king who
disdained noble
men when
they gave silver

'
while gold, a thouto give
sand pieces of
it, is
the easiest thing for

?
5
vexes him but evil words
And
and nothing a mountain of collyrium is
him
va.sc.*
/ extended
Literally, I drove.
:
nocturnal traveller
Metre, basit.
&A)l?
Four
That
is,
four things.
Silver
Literally, dirhems.
To
5
obtain the required sense in line 11, p. 229 (Text)/o?
ljo read
t*U. <j
<-A&\ Evil words : For
this
meaning
of the
word
cf
174
decreased by the
style,
THE MAQAMAT OF
then
?
BADI*
not affect his fortune
matter of bounty,
of character,
is
is it this bountiful giving does there be a king, who, in the referable to squandering, and, in the matter
how And can
to sublimity, and, in the matter of religion, to devotion, and, in the matter of royalty, to universal empire, and, in the matter of origin, to the most ancient, and, in the matter
of descendants, to the
*
most recent
Would
that
these are,
what he, whose gracious qualities expects to get more by reaching the Pleiades.'
I
knew
XLVI.
'ISA IBN
THE MAQAMA OF THE YELLOW

related to us
HISHAM
' :
and said
return from the Pilgrimage there came into I have a young man of yellow origin who invites and he said to unbelief and dances upon the finger. Exile has disciplined
When I desired to my presence a youth
him.
The
desire for
recompense has brought
me
to thee that I
might
represent his case before thee.
He
has demanded of thee
in marriage a yellow
damsel
Now, rejoiceth the beholders. of them both an offspring begotten

men's
ears.
that pleaseth the company and if thou dost assent, there will be
3
that will
fill
the regions and

4
And when thou

5
hast folded this robe
and
rolled
up
this thread
Therefore
now
it will have preceded thee into thy country. decide regarding the unfolding of what is in
thine hand.'
He
held his tongue from a thousand words and then uttered the wrong thing. Cf
Letters, p. 339,
and
'
He who
reviles
me
with evil words, his reward will be a hundred thousand
(of them).'
p. 433 of the Letters and p. 58 Khalaf 's cruel treatment of his sons, his treachery towards the governor of Kirman, and the murder of the Qadi Abu Yusuf show that he was not the paragon of excellence Hamadhani makes him appear to be. See Ibn al-Athir,
For another extraordinary eulogy on Khalaf see
of the
Diwdn.
ix,
58-9.
i
Would that I knew

:
:
Metre, basit.
ii,
1
1
4
A yellow damsel An allusion to Qur'an, An offspring That is, praise. When thou hast folded this robe Cf. the
:
64.
third
Maqama,
p. 33,
It (i.e. praise) will
have preceded thee.
:
175
at his narration
was astonished
and
his witticism in his solicitation, so I
complied with his request.
Then he
*
recited saying
the lower hand, 1 glory is duped, But the hand of the generous man and his judgement are
By
supreme.'
XLVII.
'f sA
THE MAQAMA OF SARIAH

:
IBN HISHAM related to us and said While we were at Sariah 3 with the governor thereof there came before him a youth with the fragrance of saffron upon him. So the assembly stood
him and, out of respect, he was seated in the chief place but awe of him hindered me from asking him his name. Then he began and said to the governor What hast thou done with
up
for
; * :
yesterday's
discussion,
said
it
5
'
:
vion?
'
He
God
perhaps thou hast relegated it to obliforbid but there has hindered me from
!
attaining to
a reason which
whose wounds
impossible to explain, and one cannot be healed ? Said the intruder Sirrah,
it is
'
'
the delay in the fulfilment of this promise has been long, and I shall not find thy morrow regarding it other than thy to-day, or
By
the lower
hand
receiving or begging hand.
As opposed to
(
Metre, kamil. JjLJ^ Jo The lower hand : The the supreme or superior, i.e. the giving
i&~$\ J.J\
hand.
tradition of the
Prophet
L1*J\ *xJ^ supports the explan-
ation given in the note.

ii,
See Musnad of
Imam
and
Ibn Hanbal.
p. 524, line 13, vol.
iii,
page 402,
:
line 14,
p. 503, line 10.
(Ob. 241 A.H.) vol. Also al-Jama al'
respectively.
Saghlr with commentary by al-Zubeidi, part i, pp. 97-98, lines 20-23 and line 1 It is more blessed to give than to receive Cf English Bible
'
.
(Acts xx. 35.).
Also the line of the poet
U>
For verily thou knowest not when a suppliant comes whether he or thou art more blessed through what thou givest him. (Al-Jama al-Saghlr, part i, p. 97.) See note on page 40.
*
But
the
fact of the generous
hand of the generous man and his judgement are supreme The man being beguiled into giving is not to be attributed to the
:
weakness of his intellect. Cf. Hariri, i, 31, on the subject of the dinar. * Sariah : A town in Tabaristan (Mazandaran) and the seat of the governor
during the rule of the Tahirides.
4
jj^-u^ Oblivion
Probably an allusion to Qur'an,

is,
xix, 23.
&
Whose wounds
That
the effects of Instability to perform what he had
promised,
176
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
thy to-day concerning it other than thy yesterday. In promise I can only compare thee to the Salix Aegyptia tree whose blossoms fill the eye, but there is no fruit there.'
breaking,
Said 'Isa ibn

I
Hisham
When
' :
cut
him
be,
short
'
al-Iskanderi
ation
*
He
and said answered
he had reached this point, 1 God guard thee, art thou not
*
:
And
thy
perpetual
'
how
to the
I
excellent
is
sagacity
may thy Then
preservsaid
:
Welcome
generous.*
till I
of speech and to the stray of the have searched for it till I found it, and sought it
it.'
commander
obtained
Then we became mutually
friendly
till
the
I highland attracted me and the lowland swallowed him. ascended and he descended, and I fared eastwards and he westwards. After his departure, I said
:
whose hands were whose fame was extensive Last night he passed with me, but where will he pass this
would that
I
knew
of a brother 3
straitened, but
our night
?
4
May
I
4 poverty not prosper, for he is its exile, and, owing to poverty, I have been deprived of him. will surely place over it, in Khalaf ibn Ahmad, one who
will destroy
it.'
XLVIII.
'IsA IBN
MAQAMA OF TAMIN
and said I was appointed to the There arrived there Sa'd and he was made wazir.
:
HISHAM
related to us
governorship of a province in Syria. 5 ibn Badr of the tribe of Fazara,
Ahmad
ibn
Walid 6 was placed over
the
postal
department,
This point:
Literally, this place.
The stray of the generous

generous to
*
That
is
the stray camel of the
which
'Isd ibn
O would that
Hisham here compares al-Iskanderi. knew of a brother : Metre, kamil.

poverty not prosper: Literally,
May
not flow copiously
5
!
may
the milk of poverty
Sa'd ibn Badr.
The FazArite
have not been able
to identify this indivi-
dual with any of the important persons of this tribe mentioned in the Ansab of al-Sam'ani, pp. 427-8.
Ahmad ibn
name
is
al-Walid
fictitious.
have not been able
to identify this person
and the
probably
Khalaf ibn Salim
1
177
was posted to the court of appeal, one of Banu Thowaba 2 was appointed to the secretariat, and the assessment office was given to a Syrian. Therefore the country
the
became the delight
of the intellectuals
and
their alighting-place.
And
rilled
they ceased not to arrive, one after the other, until they the eyes of the townsfolk and oppressed their minds. And
those that came, there arrived Abu'1-Nada, the Temimite,* upon him and hearts were not sincere
into
among
but eyes rested not towards him.
One day he came

and
'
my
his true worth, I seated

I
him
presence, and I appreciated him at in the chief place of the assembly

in life
left
and how does he and then he said Between loss and meanness, between baseness and contempt, and a people like donkey's dung. Prosperity smells them * but
said
find his
What hope has the Master affairs ? He looked right and

'
:
'
they are evil-smelling. They are treated with kindness, but show none, By Heavens I have come to find them to be a people who resemble human beings only in head and dress.' And he
!
began to
*
recite
land of Sijistan thee

!
may
the countries be a ransom for
And for the noble king the people And even if the days will help me, And if mount and provisions take me there, Still who will compensate me for what has perished And for the life which cannot be restored ?
!
'
of
it,
Khalaf ibn Sdlim : This name is probably fictitious. Banu Thowaba The name of a family, originally Christians, not
:
of a tribe
as stated by the commentator, distinguished as official writers or secretaries of state. The most accomplished member of the family was Abu 'Abd Allah ibn
Ahmad
p. 130.
ibn
Thowaba, secretary
to the Khalifa
Mu'tadid (A.H. 279-89). See Fehrist,
is
3 Abii'l-Nadd, the Temimite : This is probably another fictitious name. There no trace of any such person in the Ansab of al-Sam'ani, p. 109.
4
'
~> It smells them : The commentator says it means to regard with ^$4 favour or consideration.' It seems to signify to test by experiment which, perhaps, by an extension of meaning, may be said to connote to pay attention to, to take
notice of and the like.

5
Still
O land of Sijistan Metre, wafir. who will compensate me for what has
:
perished of
it
(time),
And for
have
the
life
which cannot
be restored
That
is,
what
will
make up
for the time I
23
178
XLIX.
'f SA
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

THE MAQAMA OF WINE
:
IBN
HISHAM
happened ment, and

balanced
related to us and said In my early youth I to have an equable temperament and accurate judgeso I held the balances of my reason even and counter-
my
seriousness with
friends for love
and others
And I adopted some jesting. for pleasure. I set apart the day for
my
the people and the night for the wine-cup. He said Now one night there assembled with me some familiar friends, masters of
*
:
pleasant ideas, and we ceased not to hand one another the stars of the drinking-bowls * until the wine we had was exhausted.
5
He
said
decision to
The boon-companions were unanimous in their broach the wine vats, and we drew forth their contents 9
* :
and they remained
like the shell
without the pearl, or a country

* :
without a free-born man.'

of the female vintner.
He
said
When we
felt
the effect of
that our predicament, mischievous inclinations led us to the inn The brocade of night was green and its
waves were tumultuous.
Now when we
8
had begun
to
wade
and so the
when
along, the crier of the morning chanted the summons to prayer 4 fiend of youthful lust shrank back, and we hastened
my life spent away from Sijistan, which a somewhat obscure passage and the commentator has understood it to refer to the death of the ruler, Khalaf ibn Ahmad, but this cannot be as Khalaf died in A.H. 399 the year following the death of al-Hamadhani (A.H. It is evident this maqama was composed before A.H. 393, the year in which 398).
lost,
absent, and for that portion of

?
cannot be recalled
This
is
See note on page 148, Sijistan was wrested from Khalaf by Mahmud of Ghazna. supra. Cf. the following parallel lines by 'All Husain, Governor of Ahwaz, brother of Sharaf al-Daula imprisoned and put to death by his uncle in A.H. 375.
Grant that time may conciliate me, and its vicissitudes regard me with favour, That it recompense me with kindness and release (me) from captivity, have gone, Still, who will compensate me for the days of youth that
And who
1
will
make up
for
me
for
what has been That
lost of
my
life in
ix,
prison
Ibn al-Athir,
31.
The stars of the drinking-bowls

*r.
is
the cups of sparkling wine.
Their contents
Literally, their soul.

:
ÂU
*
The crier of the morning

:
That
is,
the Mu'adhin (muezzin).
J~l&.
Shrank back
Cf
<jlu^
the epithet applied to the devil because he
shrinks at the mention of God.
Sae Qur'an, cxiv, 4 and Baidawi, Commentary
179
forward to obey the call, and stood behind the Imam with the standing of the noble pious, with dignity, sedateness, and measured movements. For every commodity hath its time and
every craft its place. Now our Imam was energetic in his bending and rising, and by his delay was inviting us to slap him, till he came to his senses and raised his voice to pronounce the final salutation.
Then he
sat cross-legged at a side of the niche,

1
'
turned his face
towards his audience, looking down for a long time and snuffed O people, he who has the air continually. Then he said rendered his conduct unseemly, and is afflicted with his foul
:
behaviour, should remain at home,

his breath, for verily all this
the mother of enormities

is
Now what him who has passed the night prostrated by the 5 and then comes betimes to these houses 6 influence of Taghut which God hath commanded to be raised, and hath purposed
4
day I from some of the people.
instead of polluting us with have perceived the fumes 3 of
the desert of
(Fleischer ed.) ii, 424. A similar idea is suggested in Faust by Mephistopheles shrinking at the sight of the cross or the sound of sacred music.
i
&>U~o^
His audience
:
Literally, his
companions.
is
&lU>o At home
is
Literally, at his
house; Dozy's opinion

Cf.
SoyLto?
that the
word
arabicized
from the Greek,
a house.
BtjfJLO^,
people,
a public place belonging to the public, a state prison. Sr)fjbO(Tios Hajjaj's dungeon at Wasit, half way between Basra and Kufa (Yaqut, word is found in Rabinnical Hebrew
8
The name of The ii, 712).
The fumes: According to the law of Abu Hanifa a man does not render himself liable to scourging (j^.) because he smells of wine, unless witnesses give evidence, or he himself admits, that he has actually drunk wine. The mere
same authority, is not sufficient, for the odour consequent eating a quince would be precisely the same. Mabstit, xxiv, 31.
smell, adds the
upon
term
The
mother of enormities
vices, wine.
:
Cf
the
more
popular
mother of
Taghut
According to Baidawf, Commentary,
i,
213,
it
means any
vain thing which is worshipped. It signifies an idol or whatever is worshipped besides God, and particularly the two goddesses of the Meccans, al-Lat and al-'Uzza,
and also the devil and any seducer (Sale's translation of the Qur'an, p. 28 note). See Qur'an, iv, 54, and liii, 19. 6 To these houses : An allusion to Qur'an, xxiv, 36. The term houses quoted from the Qur'an is applied to those edifices set apart for divine worship, particularly the principal temples of Mecca, Madina and Jerusalem. Baidawi, Commentary,
ii,
25.
180
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

'
and he pointed to us. Then was the congregation incited against us, and they fell upon us till our outer-wrapper garments were torn to tatters, the napes of our necks were covered with blood, and we vowed to them we would not revert to it. Then we escaped from among
that the last of these should be cut off ?
them with
difficulty, but,
3
owing
forgave such a calamity. passed by us concerning the

'
We
to our escaping safely, 8 we all enquired of the children that

:
Imam of that village and they said Abu'l Path, al-Iskanderi.' So we exclaimed Good gracious, occasionally a blind man receives his sight and a demon believes And praise God he has hastened in turning
It is
the godly
man
!
'
not deprive us of repentance like his.' the remainder of our day marvelling at his passed devotion in spite of what we knew of his immorality. He said
to
Him and may God
And we
'
the day was, or almost was, in its death throes, we there were the banners of the wine-shops 4 like stars in a pitch-dark night. At the sight of them we exchanged
Now when
beheld and lo
announced to one another the glad tidings of a brilliant night, and arrived at the one with the biggest door and the stoutest dogs. And we made the dinar our leader and recklessness a thing inseparable from us. We were conducted to the possessor of a beautiful form, dalliance, and a slender when her glances killed, her words made alive again. She waist, received us well and hastened to kiss our heads and hands while 5 hurried to unsaddle the camels and the horses.' her aliens Then we asked her concerning her wine and she said
gifts
of gladness,
'
Wine,
the
in sweetness,
deliciousness
and pleasantness,
like
dew
of
my
An
mouth,
viii, 7.
Should be cut
off
allusion to Qur'an,
:
OiJJ
Escaping
safely
Another reading
diLJJ For the sake of the
old wine.
3
4
We forgave
such a calamity
That
is,
we were
:
glad to get
away
at all.
GW)iTtft>(j>\j
The banners of the wine shops
Evidently in the time of the

it
author the sale of intoxicants in Muslim lands was not prohibited and mitted to display flags to distinguish those institutions.
5
was per-
the term was applied first to foreigners, Plural of glc then to Christians who had become Muslims and to Muslims especially Persians, who had become Christians and, finally, to renegade foreigners in the service of
sjU^ Aliens
Muslim
8
princes.
like the
Wine in sweetness,
dew of my mouth
Metre, kdmil.
It leaves
181
the clement one without the smallest quantity of
the grace of his clemency.'

It is as if
my
grandfather's ancestors had pressed

it
it
from
my
separation and aversion ; the trust of the ages, the hidden thing in the bosom of happiness. The righteous have not ceased to inherit it and the
cheek and coated
with pitch
like
unto
my
nights and the days to take away from it, until nought remaineth It is the fragrance of save aroma, rays, and a pungent flavour. 2 the soul, the fellow-spouse of the sun, the damsel of the lightIt is like the heat in the veins and ning, a coaxing old dame. of the gentle breeze in the throats, the illumination the coolness 3 to the poison of the age. With of thought and the antidote
it the dead is strengthened and raised to life again, So we said the one born blind is treated so that he sees. and ' By thy father this is the stray And who is the minstrel at thy
the like of
court
of
Perhaps
?
it is
'
diluted for the drinkers with the sweet

'
dew
of
He met me on Sunday He spoke to me confidentially till he of Mirbad. at the convent so a friendship sprang up and joy recurred. He pleased me, and told me of his great honour, and of the nobility of his people in his own country that which directed my love to him, and made
him a
favourite,
She said Verily, and rare humour. pleasant disposition

thy mouth
:
have an old
man
and you
will
soon make friends with, and have

'
:
'
He said Then she called her old man, a longing for him.' So I said O Abu'land lo it was our Iskanderi, Abu'1-Fath it is as though he who recited these lines had Fath By heavens,
*
! !
looked upon thee and spoken with thy tongue

'
In times gone by,
I
!
had wisdom,
Then
And,
praise of the cupper.

if
God
we
religion and uprightness, sold jurisprudence for the craft
we
live
but a
little
longer,
God
save
us.'
j&T ($+
UJ
Coated
it
with pitch
An
is,
allusion to the practice of be-
smearing the winevat with pitch. a The fellow spouse of the sun
jealousy.
a _
3
That
something calculated to excite
,3
,
by
An
antidote
Probably arabicized from the Greek Qrjpiaica

Metre, ramal,
antidotes against poisonous bites.

:
In times gone by
182
THE MAQAMAT OF
said
' : :
BAD!'
Then he snorted as snorts the vain, he shouted, he grinned and laughed immoderately and then he said " Is it said of the likes of me, is one like me proverbially spoken of ? "
'
He
Cease from blaming, but what a deceiver * thou perceivest me to be

1
!
am
he
whom
every Tahamite
and every Yemenite
knows,
I
am
At
of every kind of dust, I am of every place. one time I cleave to the niche, at another to
the
location of the wine-shop. And thus acts whoever is wise in this time.'
sought refuge with God from the 3 like of his condition, and I marvelled at the holding back of subsistence from men of his ilk. We enjoyed that week of ours with him and then we departed from him.'
:
'
L.
THE MAQAMA OF THE QUEST

:
'Is! IBN
related to us and said One day I joined a unto the flowers of spring, or the stars of night after the third watch, with bright countenances and agreeable They resembled one another in appearance and dispositions.
HISHAM
like
company
were alike
there
in
skirts of conversation
good circumstances. And we began to pull the and to open the doors of debate. Now
our midst a youth, short of stature among men, with clipped mustachios, who uttered not a word, nor entered with us into a description, until, finally, the discussion led us to the praise
in
was
and its possessors, to the mention of property and its excellence and to the assertion that it is the adornment of men and the goal of perfection. Then, as if he had awoke from a sleep, or presented himself after an absence, he opened his diwan, 4 loosed his tongue, and said Silence Verily ye have failed in a thing that ye lack ye have come short in the search of it and
of wealth
*
:
!
Cease from blaming: Metre, ramal.

9
* -
*<0Ubt>
*
4
a,
deceiver:
demolished, also one
who
a demolisher, from o*)o he crushed mixes one substance with another, a cheat,
Literally,
or
back : Literally, sitting down. Cf. Hariri, p. 140. Jyti Holding His diwdn : Figuratively for his store of prose and poetry, his repertoire.
then despised
it.
183
out of the eternal by
Ye have been cheated
the temporal, and the near l has preoccupied you to the exclusion of the remote.* Is the world other than the camping-ground of
a camel-rider, or the hasty meal of the wayfarer ? Is wealth aught but a loan to be returned, or a trust to be given up ? It is transferred from one people to another, and those who come
hoard it for those who come after. Do ye see wealth with but the niggards, to the exclusion of the generous ? or with any the ignorant, to the exclusion of the learned? Beware of delusion,
first
no glory except in one of two directions, and no save in one of two lots, noble pedigree or eminent precedence And how excellent a thing is that whose bearer is learning.
for there is
borne on people's heads, and whose aspirant despaireth not By heavens were it not for the preservation of life and honour, I
!
man on earth. For I know of two one of them is in the region of Tarsus 3 and men's treasures, minds crave for it. It belongs to the treasures of the Amalekites
should have been the richest
There are in it a hundred thousand pounds weight. As for the other, it is between Sora 5 and Hilleh.' It contains of the treasures of the Persian
and
to the stores of the Patricians. 4
The near
That
:
is,
the present the future
life.
The remote
Tarsus
It
:
That
is,
life.
well-known ancient
city in the fertile plain of Cilicia.
was captured by the Arabs shortly after A.D. 660. For more than a century after But Harun al-Rashfd rebuilt its wall in A.D. 787 and its conquest it was in ruins. made it the north-western capital of the Arab power in the long wars against the Byzantine empire, The Khalifa Mamum died and was buried here in A.H. 218
(August A.D. 833). The ruins of the ancient city are extensive but are deeply buried. (Encyclopedia Britannica, xxvi, 433). The assertion that a treasure lay buried here was, therefore, not inappropriate.
.*
SSjUaj
Patricians
Plural of
,33^ a
leader of an army, one
who
is
over
arabicized from the Latin patricius. From the time of Constantine (A.D. 288-337) patrician became the title of a person high in office at court. ten thousand men.
It is
5
Sora
In Babylonia quite close to Hilleh and
Waqf
r
the seat of a famous
Jewish academy founded in the third century A.D. by the renowned scholar Abba Arika, which played a dominant role in Babylonian Judaism for several centuries. It was noted for wine. Jewish Encyclopedia, i, 145, and Yaqut, iii, 184.
1
(^-ft**^^ Hilleh
of
Banu Mazyad, a town
of Asiatic
Turkey between Kufa
It is situated on both banks sixty miles south of the latter city. of the Euphrates. Many of the houses of the town are built of bricks, not a few
and Baghdad and
184
l
THE MAQAMAT OF BADP
and of the hoards of the Tyrants sufficient for mankind and Jinn. Most of it consists of red rubies, pearls and gems, bejewelled crowns and ten thousand talents amassed.' Now when we heard
kings
before him, leaned towards him, and began to consider his judgement weak in being content with a scanty
that,
we came
livelihood in spite of his being aware of these stores. Then he hinted that he was afraid of the Sultan and relied upon none of
have heard thy argument and we accept thy excuse. Now, if thou wouldst see fit to do us a kindness, to oblige us, and to acquaint us with one of these treasures, on condition that two-thirds shall be thine, do so.' Then he extended his hand towards us and said He who sends
his brethren.
So we
said
'
We
'
something in advance will find it again, and to him who knows what is obtainable the bountiful giving of money is easy.' So each one of us gave him what was ready to hand and was eager for what he had mentioned. Now, when we had filled his palm, We must get a bare he raised his eyes towards us and said 2 of the means of subsistence and obtain what will sufficiency
'
maintain strength. 3 Our time is short and, if God be He the meeting-place will be here to-morrow.
'
!
will, exalted
Said 'Isa ibn

after
Hisham
When
Then
that
I
company
dispersed,
sat
them
for a while.
seated myself before him and said

his acquaintance
is
'
advanced towards him and and verily I desired to make
and
my
soul longed to converse with
him
'
:
It
:
He said as though I knew thy pedigree and had met thee.' Yes, a road united us and thou wast my travelling-companion.' Time hath changed thee to me and none made me So I said
'
forget th e e except Satan.'

of
them bearing an inscription of Nebuchadnezzar, obtained from the ruins of Babylon which lie less than an hour away to the north. Encyclopaedia Britannica,
xiii,
1
467
and Yaqut,
ii,
10 and 322.
royal treasures
The treasures of the Persian Kings: The &J..A^-^Jj?4>

fell
hands of ,the Arabs on the overthrow of the Persian monarchy see al-Fakhrf, p. 101. in the Khalffate of 'Umar (A.D. 634-44) were enormous The term, consequently, came to be synonymous with immense wealth. Cf. Persian
which
into the
**
8 Uic A bare sufficiency : Literally, that suffices the cattle of what they obtain from trees or plants hence food sufficient to maintain life.
;
(&j
4
t\~++>
What
of
life.
will
maintain strength
Literally,
what
will
arrest
the remains
(&\\ None made me
forget thee except Satan
An
allusion to Qur'an, xviii, 62.
Then he
'
185
recited saying
am
the tyrant of the time, of folly

faileth,
I
And, when money

desires.
I have many ideas from the purse of spend
Whoever
the sound
desires greedy feeding 3 2 of the lute,
and deep drinking, and

so,
to
And
prefers the smooth-faced, oblivious of so

wilt see
and
so and so,
Thou
him secure against wealth and
prosperity.'
LI.
THE MAQAMA OF BISHR

and said
:
'ISA IBN
HISHAM
related to us
Bishr ibn 'Awanah, the
was a robber, and he made a raid upon some riders on camels among whom was a beautiful woman whom he married. 4 So she I have never seen the like of to-day.' And he said
'Abdite,
'
:
recited
'
The
intense blackness in
my
eye,
and a fore-arm white
as silver have delighted Bishr, Whilst there is near him, within view, one of slender
waist walking proudly in a pair of anklets, The most beautiful of those that walk on two
If
feet.
Bishr were to bring her and me together, My exile would be lasting and my separation prolonged And, if he were to measure her beauty with mine, The morning would manifest itself to the possessor of
:
two
eyes.'
am
the tyrant of the time
Metre, ramal.
The sound The

or, as
4
Literally, a Literally,
humming, or rumbling sound.
lute
the chord (of a lute) composed of two strings,
some
say, the second chord.
See Hariri,
i.
244.
/ have never seen the like of to-day : Cf. the saying (1) of al-Farazdaq, Ibn Qutaiba, Sh'ir wa Shu'ard, p. 49, and (2) of 'Amr ibn-Hind, when he heard 'Amr
ibn
Kulthum recite his qasida, Mu'allaqdt, (edition by Lyall), p. 107. The intense blackness in my eye : Metre, rejez. 6 That walk on two Cf. Qur'dn, xxiv, 44. feet 7 The morning would manifest itself to the possessor of two eyes
5
:
Cf a simi.
lar
phrase quoted by Lane, p. 2647. Art,
24
186
Said Bishr
* : ' :
THE MAQAMAt OF BADP

Fie on thee
l
!
Whom
dost
thou mean
'
'
She replied
asked
'
:
Thy
Is
*
:
she as
paternal uncle's daughter, Fatima.' beautiful as thou hast described ?
He
She
answered
saying
'
:
More
so,
and much more
so.'
Then he
recited
Fie on thee
think
I
possessor of white front teeth,

;
did not
would exchange thee

signified
But now thou hast
by
allusion,
2
the valley
I raise
is
open to thee, so sing and lay thine eggs. Mine eyelids shall not close in slumber until
honour from base degrees.'
mine
So she
*
said
Many
her,
a wooer
has importunately pressed his suit for
While she
is
cousin to thee, the daughter of a paternal

*
uncle, closely related.'
Then he sent to his uncle asking for his daughter in marriage, 5 Therefore he swore not but the uncle denied him his request. to show any of them any consideration, if he would not marry
his daughter to him.
many injuries upon them, and continuously vexed them. Therefore the men of the tribe assembled before his -uncle and said 'Save us from thy madinflicted
:
So he
He replied Clothe me not with infamy, 6 but respite man.' Do so.' me that I may destroy him by stratagem.' They said
* : '
Then
1
his uncle said to
him
'
:
have sworn not to marry this
my
Fie on thee ! Metre, rejez. So sing and lay thine eggs

i,
A variation of Tarafa's line.
See Freytag, Arab
Proverbs,
3
432.
:
Many a wooer
Metre, rejez.
:
4
5
U*S Closely related

'
That
is,
his
first
cousin.
xii, 10.
The uncle denied him his request : Cf. Aghdni, breach of Bedawin law which acknowledges a right in
father's side
This refusal was a
first
cousins to the hands of
marriageable daughters. At the present day the consent of all first cousins on the must be obtained to a girl's marriage with a stranger.' Blunt's trans-
lation of the
romance, The Stealing of the Mare, pp. 8 and 122.

Clothe
me not with infamy: By

(1)
asking him to save them
from and
his
(2)
madman
if
because
he were now
he was unable to put a stop to his ravages by force, to give his consent to the marriage, he would expose
himself to the charge of having submitted to force majeure himself.
daughter,
save to
187
him who will drive to her a thousand shecamels as a dowry, and I will be satisfied with none but the shecamels of the Khuza/ah.' 1 Now the object of the uncle was that Bishr should traverse the road between him and the Khuza/ah so for the Arabs used to avoid that a lion might tear him to pieces that way in which there was a lion named Dadh and a serpent called Shuja*. One of them says concerning her
;
:
Swifter to slay than Dadh and Shuja'. If Dadh is the king of beasts, she is the
2
queen of
serpents.'
Then
half of
it
did Bishr travel that road, but he had not traversed when he met the lion. His colt reared and beat the
it.
ground with its hind-feet. So he alighted and hamstrung Then he drew his sword on the lion, attacked it and cut it
two, breadthwise.
'
in
Then he wrote with

:
the blood of the lion on
his shirt to his cousin
Fatima,
5
if
thou hadst been present in the valley of

lion,
Khabt, when the lion met thy brother Bishr, Then thou wouldst have seen a lion 6 visiting a
lion victorious
the
"
meeting another. advanced proudly, 7 and my colt timidly drew back and I exclaimed, "Mayest thou be slaughtered for a colt Let both my feet reach the surface of the ground, for I
He
perceive the earth has a surer back than thou."
Khuzd'ah
j\j
The name
of an
Arab
:
tribe.
9
3
Swifter to slay than
Dadh
Metre, rejez.
call the
Dadh
According to Dozy the people of North-West Africa

^ ->
_
55
,
white chameleon
4
Ju=^ S\d\
:
The unique dadh.
(J=&\
O Fatima
Metre, wafir.
An example
of apocopation.
These verses
'Amr ibn M'adf Kariba, but the commentator considers it merely a coincidence of ideas and that the lines refer to two distinct episodes. See Hamasa, i, 73. Cf. al-Wasata, pp. 109-111.
are attributed to
5 Khabt: There are four places of this name: (1) the desert of al-Jamish, between Mecca and Madma. (2) The oases of Kalb. (3) Bazwa, between Mecca and Madma. (4) A village in Yemen. Yaqut, ii, 397.
6
jj^jfc
(fierce
sturdy) lion
According to Dozy
it is
the
name
of an animal
which resembles the wild

7
cat found in Abyssinia.

:
Lr^> He advanced proudly

word
also
Literally,
he played the
lion
(JLl).
Frey-
tag says the
means an obsequious camel.
Cf. Hariri, p. 376, line 5.
188
THE MAQAMAT OF
And
I
BAD!'
and he had displayed sharpened and a frowning face fangs In treachery one of his paws gripped the ground while he stretched forth the other to pounce upon me,
said to
;
him
Indicating his
strength
of
claw,
sharpness
of
;
fang
and glances thou wouldst reckon to be live coals And in my right hand was a keen edge, upon whose
Hath
blade the trace of deadly blows remains it not reached thee what its keen edges did 2 Kazima, the morning I met 'Amr ?
.at
And my heart is like thine, it dreads not the how should it fear intimidation ? And thou desirest for the cubs food, and I
attack, then
seek for the
paternal uncle's daughter a dowry. Therefore in respect of what dost thou induce one like
me
I
to turn his back, and, perforce,
to place his life in
thy hands ? have admonished thee,
me
as food, for verily
But when he thought
O lion, therefore seek other than my flesh is bitter. my counsel insincere and he
I
disagreed with me, as though
He moved and
moved,
like
had spoken vainly, two lions desiring one

it,
object, which, when they sought difficult of attainment.

I
they found to be
him and I thought verily I had dawn in the darkness. And I bestowed upon him a deadly blow, which showed him that it told him false when it promised him it would betray me. I let the Indian sword in my right hand go, and it slashed
shook the sword
it
at
with
drawn
forth the
ten of his ribs.
So he
as though in And I said to
on the ground covered with blood, and it was him I had demolished a lofty edifice. " 3 him It is to me a hard thing that I have slain my like in courage and glory.
fell
;
That is, to the lion. j To him Kazima: A desert in the direction

:
of the coast
between Basra and Bahrein.
3 It is to
me a hard
thing
Cf. Letters, p. 80.
But thou didst
desire a thing
189
desired, therefore,
lion, I
none beside thee could not endure it.

that
;
Thou
me to flee by the life thou didst attempt a difficult thing. But grieve not, for thou didst meet an ingenuous one who is careful not to be blamed, therefore, thou hast
didst endeavour to instruct
!
of thy father
died honourably.
For,
if thou art slain, there is no disgrace, " meet one freeborn on both sides ?
for thou didst
Now, when these lines reached his uncle, he repented of his forbidding him to marry her, and he feared lest the serpent
might suddenly attack him. So he arose, went in his track, and came up with him when the fierceness of the serpent had taken
possession of him, but, when he saw his uncle, rage of the l days of savagery seized him, so that he put his hand into the serpent's mouth, thrust his sword into her and said
:
'A
It
Bishr,
when w as
r
his uncle
whose ambition saw him
for greatness is far-reaching;

in the
open
of
plain,
as though he were bereft mother were bereft of him

;
himself,
and
his
She attacked with an attack that caused him concern. arose against the offspring of the desert and hand and sleeve disappeared in its mouth. And its life is my life, and my venom is its venom.'
Then he
his
he had slain the serpent, his uncle said Verily I exposed thee to danger in a matter from which God hath So return, that I may marry thee to my daughter.' diverted me.
*
:
Now when
he turned back, Bishr filled his mouth with boasting, until there appeared on his horse a beardless youth, like unto the
crescent moon, enveloped in his weapons. So he said: 'O Uncle, I hear the sound of a quarry.' And he went forth and behold, a
spear's length bereft of thee
off,
!
Now when
dost thou
fill
May thy mother be thou hast slain a worm and a beast, thy jaws with boasting ? Thou art safe if thou
said
:
young man who

if
'
Bishr,
The days of savagery

*
Generally
called
the
'
Days
of
the
Ignorance,' or period of paganism, in Arabia before Islam.
Bishr, whose ambition
Metre,
rej'ez.
190
THE MAQAMAT OF B ADI* AL-ZAMAN AL-HAMADHANI

Said Bishr
' :
surrender thy uncle.'

art
*
:
Perish thy mother
Who
l
thou
'
?
:
Said Bishr
The black day and the red death.' He answered who excreted thee, be bereft of thee.' May she,
'
'
He
retorted
Bishr and she that excreted thee.'
Then
each one attacked the other, but Bishr could do nothing to him, while the youth was able to inflict upon him twenty thrusts
in the
region of the kidneys,
but,
*
the spear touched him, he prevented it in order to spare him. He said O Bishr, what thinkest thou
:
as often as the point of from wounding his body,

?
Could
not,
'
if I
3
wished, have given thee a s food to the point of
the spear
He then threw down the spear, drew his sword, and struck Bishr twenty blows with the flat of the blade, but Bishr could not deal him one. Then he said O Bishr, surrender thy uncle and go in safety.' He replied Yes, on condition that thou tell
' :
' :
me who
'
thou
art.'
!
He
I
said
' :
am
thy son.'
* :
He
exclaimed
Good
gracious
whence then
this gift
have never approached a worthy woman, I am the son of the ? He answered

'
woman who
Bishr
:
directed thee to thy uncle's daughter.'
Then
said
'
That staff is from this stave. 5 Does the serpent bring forth other than the serpent
or
'
And he swore never to ride a noble steed Then he married his uncle's daughter to his
wed
a fair lady.
son.
2
8
Death by the sword. *3>\^pd\ Red death : In the region of the kidneys : Literally, in his kidneys.
STs>W*1 The point of the spear: Literally, the fangs of the spear.
JU He
(Bishr) exclaimed.
JJJ
That
staff
is
from
this
stave:
Metre,
rejez.
Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 17 and Meidani (Bulak), i, 12. Al-'Asa is said to have been the name of a famous horse belonging to Jadhima'l-Abrash and Ausayyah See Journal Asiatique, Mars, 1838, pp. 245-51. Cf. English, that of its mother.
'
'
'
chip of the old block '. Does the serpent bring forth other than the serpent: Cf, Letters, p. 165,

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THE MAQAMAT OF BAD!

' AL-ZAMAN AL-HAMADHANI

LUZAC & Co. C. K. DEPOSITORY

dhani from the original Arabic with an Introduction and Notes

thesis for the Research

Oxford University, during the years 1913-14, and

original being largely in

sometimes subordinated to sound, there

appear insipid and uninteresting to the

English reader unacquainted with Arabic; but, as the

impulse to a species of composition which has for

centuries been regarded as an important branch of belles lettres,

this first translation of the

into English will

be favourably received by Arabic scholars and that students will

an aid to the understanding of this famous

Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary (London, 1841). Ibn

For typographical reasons

of 'k' has been used

throughout to represent the Arabic

respectful thanks are

due to His Highness the Nizam,

G.C.S.I., for graciously permitting

acknowledgements are also due to His Highness'

Government and the Madras School Book and Literary Society

towards the cost of publication.

indebtedness to the Rev. Canon E.

valuable advice and help in regard to the arrangement

for kindly assisting

work through the

read Ley den.

said to have satirized his native place

that honour, but

THE MAQAMAT OF BADP

wilt not blame thou art assured I

me for the weakness of my am a man of Hamadhan.

Ibn Paris, Hamadhani's instructor, ironically hints that the

spite of the uninspiring character of his

'Aufi tells us he gave, at a very early age, evidence of those great

young scholar Persian which he accomplished

Sahib himself, at the instance of the youthful

2 poet, suggesting the metre and the rhyme.

the original of the

easy transition become the narrator of the story or adventure.

Each maqama begins with

Utfj^ which, being literally rendered,

he related news, or traditions to us

Ibn Khallikan, Ibn Khallikan,

Slane's Translation, Slane's Translation,

Lubdb al-Albdb, See Yatima, i, 9.

of study that could

was imbued with the culture

to the precise duration of his stay there,

but, in the society of the litterati that

had gathered round the

must have been

a period rich in opportunity

to Tha'alibi (A.H. 350-429)

he frequented the society of the he acquired a great deal of knowIn A.H.

and received much enlightenment. 2

992-3) at the age of twenty-four he reached Nishapur where he

composed the work upon which

In replying to al-Khwarazmi's criticism of his work